The Dark One
by Silver Tongue Joe
Summary: 4 years after Malomyotismon's defeat, the digidestined have moved on, although seemingly without one Davis Motomiya. Can Kari and the gang save him from himself in time to stop a bold new threat, or will he waste away...? First Official fic, Daikari, rating may vary, please read and review! New Chapters On The Way!
1. Prologue

**A/N: Hi guys! My first fic! Super stoked, hope you like this! To clarify, Davis' situation will be rectified quickly, I don't intend to make this fic a long one, but there will be a new bad guy to sort spur it along!**

 **Disclaimer: If Digimon were mine, I'd screw that epilogue with a large WarGreymon! But it isn't so yeah. I cry now.**

 **The Dark One**

 **Prologue**

 _Four years have passed since the second generation of digidestined defeated MaloMyotismon, and since that time the connection between the real and digital worlds has been growing slowly but surely, with digimon migration into the human world becoming more and more common. On the other side of the coin, travel to the digital world, while still mostly selective, has also become easier and more available to those with permission to cross the border. As for the digidestined themselves, well, to say they grew up would be quite the understatement._

"Hey guys wait up!" TK yelled, running up behind Cody, Yolei, Kari, Tai, Matt, Sora and Izzy. TK, now 16, had grown a few inches, standing at 5'10" and, unlike his older brother, had kept his hair cut short and neat, having grown very handsome. "Then hurry up you slow poke!" Matt replied, a mad grin on his face. He, Sora and Tai hadn't changed much, although Tai and Sora had gone to college, while Matt had decided to continue to further his band's success, which had gone steadily over the past 4 years. As for Kari and Yolei, the two girls had grown only a little in terms of height, both had turned into real lookers, and were the heartthrobs of every guy in school. As for Cody, he had finally hit a growth spurt, and stood as tall as TK did, despite being younger. Finally, Izzy had graduated from college early, and now worked as a programmer for the world's first and only digiport development company. Their digimon were spread out too, some being in the digital world while their humans were maintaining their busy lifestyle, and on this particular day any of them that were on earth had gone back to celebrate the anniversary of MaloMyotismon's defeat with the rest of the digital world.

"Phew! Sorry guys I got caught up with my chores and didn't realize how late it had gotten" TK said, catching his breath when he caught up to them. "That's alright TK" Matt started "Joe went to go pick up Mimi and Willis from the airport, and Ken went on ahead to make sure we had a table reserved for all of us at the arcade." TK nodded, and began to walk alongside his best friend Kari. The two had tried dating for a small time, but before the first date even ended they agreed that they probably shouldn't be more than friends. Yolei, however, had grown extremely close to Ken, and within 2 years Ken finally (to everyone's relief) asked her out. Joe and Mimi had also begun a long distance relationship, and although sometimes strained, the two seemed very happy. Having Willis to keep her company in America also helped Mimi, as she needed a friend familiar with the digital world or she feared she might go insane.

After a short time something dawned on Kari, and looking around at the group she asked "Hey wait a minute! What about Davis? Has anyone heard from him?" The collective cringe from those gathered answered her question, and, feeling extremely disappointed, Kari sighed and hung her head. "Hey don't worry I think Ken said he might show, we can ask him when we get to the arcade!" Yolei said optimistically, though her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. Kari, however, seemed not to notice, merely nodding her head and looking down. "Yeah, good luck with that one." Matt muttered, earning him a god slap across the back f the head from both Tai and Sora. Fortunately, Kari was too deep in thought to notice. "Cheer up sis" Tai said throwing an arm around her "If you're there I'm sure he'll show up, I mean it's always spurred him on before right TK?" TK nodded, smiling warmly "Yeah, he'll probably come in bragging about he and Ken are gonna take Odaiba High to the top as the "Star Pair" for a 3rd year running!" That caused even Kari to laugh, and she said "Thanks guys, but I'm ok, really." Seeming to take her answer, the others resumed conversation, cracking jokes about old times. Though as Kari settled back into a brisk walk, her mind wandered back to everything that had happened with the crimson haired boy in the past 4 years.

Almost immediately after the defeat of MaloMyotismon, Davis had begun to slowly but surely recede away from the others. At first it was just missing a few meet ups here and there, but by their sophomore year, they all noticed that the only thing he consistently showed up to that involved the digidestined were the soccer games, and even then it was only because he and Ken were the team's best players and had won them the national title 2 years in a row, a feat lost on no one, especially those who considered him to be their friend. However, of late the only time he met up with anyone who had been involved with the digital world had been whenever Tai or Matt or Izzy were around, never in large groups, and only if Ken were there too. By this point everyone had noticed, but whenever he was questioned about it or anyone tried to confront him, he either made up and excuse or simlply walked away, saying "I've been busy is all." The change had started almost immediately after they took down MaloMyotismon, and it had somehow managed to douse his spark, making him lose much of the life and excitement he held inside him, a trait that Kari had grown to find very appealing, especially when coupled with his knack for friendship and his inconquerable courage. Couple that with his growing good looks and you had a real winner. He had let his crimson hair grow down his back, so that it now reached a few inches below his neck. His boyish face had grown sharper, making him very handsome, and his body had become very toned and lean from all the soccer. He was every girl's number one pick, but he had never taken any of them out, instead choosing to gently let them down and say he wasn't really interested. Much to everyone's shock, his massive crush on Kari seemed to have also vanished, although she had on more than one occasion found herself wishing it hadn't.

Her mind drifting into this line of thought now, Kari suddenly blushed furiously, and shook her head, taking her mind off of Davis Motomiya for the moment. Her feelings now weren't new, in fact they had started even before they had defeated MaloMyotismon. But as always, she told herself she was just being weird, and let herself re-focus as they had reached their destination. "Here we are!" Tai and Matt and TK said, grinning madly and buncing on the balls of their feet. "GUYS! GUUUUUUUUUUUUYS!" A female voice yelled, and Sora squeeled as she and Mimi almost tackled each other, hugging tightly. "Joe! Willis!" TK called out, as the other two ran behind Mimi, Joe puffing and muttering something about a limitless supply of energy that was just plain unnatural. Willis smiled, fist bumping Tai and Izzy, frowning as he looked around and said "Where's Davis?" Once again a collective cringe went around the group, as Ken walked out and said "I'm glad to say he told me he'd be here later." Yolei zoomed up and quickly kissed Ken, smiling at him warmly. "Er, uh, anyway" Ken continued, still a little embarrassed with Yolei's need for mass PDA "Let's get inside and get this party started."

They got inside and immediately spread out like rabid sharks, forming smaller groups and enjoying the time together. Willis' uncle, who owned the arcade, had reserved it just for them when Ken had asked, and had let them use any games they wanted for free. He also supplied them with the massive meal, which he insisted upon, knowing full well the sacrifices made by the digidestined 4 years prior. When they got ready to eat, Tai and Matt, with help from Ken and TK, pushed together some tables and they all sat down, enjoying a large amount of varied pizza, sipping fizzy drinks and cracking jokes, exchanging 'war stories' from their adventures. Some time into the meal, Kari noticed Ken reach into his pocket and frown at his phone whispering into Yolei's ear and motioning for Tai to follow him. Curious, Kari followed quietly, stopping when she heard her brother yell "WHAT?!" She hugged the wall, straining to hear what was being said.

"Calm down Tai!"

"Are you kidding me right now Ken? How am I supposed to stay calm?!"

"Look, I'm just the messenger ok?"

"I know, I know! But come on, I haven't even seen the guy outside of a soccer game in over 4 months now!"

"He said something important had come up Tai!"

"That's what he always says!"

"I know but I was sure I convinced him tonight okay? I didn't mean to get anyone's hopes up!"

"Tell that to Kari or Willis! They were really excited to see him here!"

"I know, I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault Ken, but he never misses this. I guess I'm just really disappointed."

Kari's head dropped immediately. So Davis _wasn't_ coming. What was going on with him? Why was he being so damned distant?! It was driving everyone insane! Sighing, she went back to the others, wedging herself against the wall, Ken and Tai not far behind him. Sora frowned at Kari's expression, but was startled out of asking her what was wrong when Matt slammed his hand on the table and roared "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" Everyone shut up quickly at that, turning with inquisitive glances at him and Tai, the latter of whom sighed and said "Calm down Matt, getting mad won't help."

"WHAT THE HELL?! DUDE, HE DITCHED US **AGAIN**!"

"He's not coming is he?"Cody piped up, sounding mad as well

"Who?" Mimi asked

"DAVIS!" Matt yelled, calmer now that Sora had taken his hand

"Oh come on, seriously?!" Yolei asked, now officially pissed off

"On today of all days?" Joe sighed

"Yeah, for real. Today is special, and even Willis and Mimi made it!" TK huffed

"Honestly I'm not surprised" Matt said bitterly

"Hey that's not fair!" Kari said, feeling a bit flustered at everyone's growing temper

"Kari's right, this isn't helping anyone" Sora said firmly

"Ken, what did he say was going on?" Matt asked through gritted teeth

"Just that something came up..." Ken replied hesitantly

"Come on guys, enough about Davis, we're here aren't we?" Willis asked and they all nodded quietly "Then don't mope, let's the party! Let's finish the night with fun!"

After Willis' statement, everyone gradually got back into a lighter mood, and soon the topic of Davis was put to rest, but Kari didn't join in, she merely sat there, her thoughts carrying her away...

 _Elsewhere in Odaiba, Davis sat quietly in Jun's apartment, his phone in hand, staring out the window, a single tear rolling down his cheek..._


	2. Chapter One

**Hi all! Was sitting down on my day off doing absolutely nothing but watching Netflix and eating copious amounts of ramen, so I figured I'd write another chapter! This chapter is sort of like Davis' side of the story, and glosses over what happened in the final battle with MaloMyotismon. It also shows how much of a polar shift his home life took with the revelation of digimon and how it impacted his parents being the caretakers of a digidestined.**

 **Disclaimer: I may not own Digimon, but that doesn't mean I can't act like I do. Besides if I did I think we can all agree we'd be better off (flips off the epilogue).**

 **The Dark One**

 **Chapter One: Into the Depths**

Kari sighed as she made her way down the streets of Odaiba into the city center, towards where she discovered Davis now lived. She had been more than a little surprised to knock on the door of the Motomiya's apartment only to find Davis' tired and almost drunk father standing there, telling her that Davis hadn't lived in the apartment since Jun moved out 2 years prior. She had noticed the reek of alcohol and cigarettes wafting from inside the apartment, and had quickly excused herself. Now as she walked along, her mind drifted back to the conversation the collective digidestined had the previous night at the party and again that morning when Tai had called a meeting to discuss what to do about Davis. It had been a tense gathering, a stark contrast to the mostly easy going mood from the night before.

 _"Okay guys I'm pretty sure we all know why we're here." Tai said as the last of the group filtered into the park area_

 _"Davis." Matt, TK and Willis all said at the same time, a finality in their voice that let everyone know they were serious_

 _"Exactly." Tai replied, nodding firmly at Matt, who repeated the motion_

 _"Well what about him? If he doesn't want t be our friend anymore then that's his business." Yolei said shortly, clearly not happy with the subject_

 _"Yolei!" Sora scolded, shooting her a glare_

 _"Sora's right, we need to take a deep breath and handle this carefully." TK said_

 _"Come on Ken, you two are freakin' inseparable most days, you've GOT to have an idea as to what's wrong." Matt pressed_

 _"I'm sorry guys, but I can't tell you. He's my best friend, if he won't say then it isn't my place to tell you." Ken replied wearily_

 _"Look this isn't Ken's fault guys, if we want the truth it's gotta come from Davis himself." Mimi said_

 _"Yeah, could you imagine how he'd react if he found out we bullied Ken into telling us?" Joe added_

 _"I agree, Davis is our friend, we can't forget that without him we wouldn't even be here right now." Cody said, alluding to the battle with MaloMyotismon_

 _"But we can't let that stop us from trying to get to the bottom of this." Willis said quickly, to which almost everyone nodded, that is except Kari_

 _"Kari?" Sora nudged the brunette softly "You've been really spacey today, what's wrong?"_

 _Kari just sighed softly, glancing at the older girl "I'm just really worried, Sora. He won't even look at me these days...I miss him."_

 _Sora smiled sadly at the younger girl, putting an arm around her. She was going to ask her more, when Matt's voice cut across the others "Hey wait a minute! Kari, Davis always had a thing for you, maybe he'd tell you what was bugging him if you asked."_

 _Kari shifted uncomfortably where she was sitting "Actually I don't think he's had a 'thing' for me for a few years now. Besides, I've tried asking him what was wrong a bunch of times already, and all he does is duck out or avoid answering altogether."_

 _TK shook his head "Maybe so Kari, but you're still probably our best shot. I don't think he'd avoid you like he would us, he always had a soft spot for you."_

 _Kari looked at the ground silently, finally looking up when Sora placed a hand on her shoulder "You don't have to if you really don't want to."_

 _Kari sighed, and replied "No Matt and TK are right, I have to at least try."_

She was brought back from her thoughts as she approached the large apartment complex that Mr. Motomiya had said Jun and her new boyfriend lived in with Davis. Steeling herself, Kari walked up the stairs until she reached the door which bore the nameplate "Taiko and Motomiya" upon it's mahogany surface. Taking a deep, she rang the doorbell, heart beating in her chest until she heard a muffled "Coming!" As the door opened Kari was slightly taken aback by the sight that stood before her. She hadn't seen Jun Motomiya in almost 3 years now, and the older girl looked, for lack of a better word, tired. She had lost weight, giving her a very thin appearance, and the bags under her eyes were so pronounced Kari thought that perhaps they were painted on. However, upon seeing who was at her door, Jun's face lit up, and she virtually squealed "Kari! Oh my god! Come in come in!" Kari smiled awkwardly as she was yanked into the apartment and was guided down the hall to the living room. "Make yourself at home! I'll grab us some lemonade." Jun said happily.

Kari took a moment to look around and examine the apartment. She had heard that Jun had hooked up with a local reporter, and it appeared that they were doing well for themselves. The apartment was actually relatively large, with a decent living room that was attached by a counter to the open kitchen. She could see 4 doors upstairs, which were lined up along a single hallway. Not too expensive, but definitely not cheap either. She was brought out of her thoughts by Jun, who returned with a couple of glasses of lemonade. Kari smiled, thanking the older girl and taking a glass. After a light chat and some catching up, Jun sighed sadly, and asked the question she knew was going to come out sooner or later "You're here to see Davis right?" Kari gulped, nodding slowly, the knot in her stomach reforming. Jun merely gave her a sympathetic look "He's upstairs, last room down the hall. Where he always is. I don't know what happened to you guys 4 years ago Kari, but my little brother...I think a piece of him died there. He hasn't been the same since." Kari frowned a little, placing a hand gently over Jun's, and saying softly "It's alright Jun, we're going to help him." Jun looked back at Kari, an unreadable expression on her face "Kari, I think you'll find yourself eating your words once you to him. Even Veemon couldn't snap him out of it." That surprised Kari, and she asked quickly "Wait Veemon's been in the human world? None of us have seen him in 4 years!" Jun shook her head in response "He tried his best, but when Davis shut himself off from the little guy, Veemon couldn't handle it. He went back to the digital world with his heart in little pieces." Kari looked at Jun in shock. She couldn't believe what she had heard. Davis and Veemon were beyond close, so what the hell could have happened to cause Davis to even close himself off from his partner? Her mind made up, Kari stood and moved to go upstairs, determined to face the young man no matter what.

 **Davis' Room, A Short Time Earlier**

Davis was laying down on his bed, crimson hair pulled into a scruffy ponytail, wearing a black t-shirt and a pair of gray gym shorts. He stared at the ceiling, his mind wandering back to the place it usually did. What had happened to him 4 years ago, the thing that had shattered him.

 _It wasn't long after they had celebrated the defeat of MaloMyotismon, and the border between the two worlds had been shut for the time being. Davis had been walking home, a grin on his face. He was elated that they had finally won, and was in fact planning to try and find a way to ask Kari out, not in his usual goofy way but in a serious, controlled manner. He wanted to try and be a little more mature, and take some responsibility. His blood ran cold when he heard an all to familiar evil chuckle behind him however. "No way! You were destroyed!" Davis yelled , backing slowly away from the black shadow that was approaching him. "So you thought, boy of miracles! But now, you'll taste true despair!" the shadow screeched at him, diving for him and entering what Davis could only describe as his very soul. The torture and solitude he had suffered ever since had sprouted from whatever had latched itself to him that day. The dreams, the images, the doubts, the fears had all become more and more prominent the more he hung out with the other digidestined. The only exception was Kari, but the problem was that where one of the group went, others often followed. He couldn't face them after the trauma he was forced to suffer through so often. He knew it wasn't real, that his doubts were just the work of MaloMyotismon's negative influence, but he couldn't help it, it was too much for him to handle. His thoughts, coupled with his parent's divorce over having him as a son, and Jun's complete cut off from the rest of the family except for Davis himself, had driven him to the edge far too many times, and it was only his bond with Ken that kept him grounded. Deciding that everything else was too much, he began to cut his ties to the others, only showing up to meetings on occasion, secluding himself more and more, staying close to Ken if he did ever go out with them. He also decided to hide his feelings for Kari, not wanting his heart to suffer more than it already did by pining after her. Now, 4 years later, he only ever saw the others at soccer games, or if they tagged along with Ken. The questions were easy enough to avoid, and he had gotten good at it too. Too good maybe, although he told Ken most everything. He had made his best friend swear to never tell anyone about what had happened, no matter what. it was his issue to deal with, and he would always tell Ken if he needed any help. Reluctantly his DNA partner had agreed, and so Davis had slipped further and further into the darkness, stuck in a nightmare he never dreamed possible._

He was shaken from his thoughts when a knock came on his door. Sighing, he stood up, wondering what Jun or Mikihiro could need. His face paled however when he saw her standing there. He hadn't spoken more than a few words to her in years now, so what she was doing here, when no one was supposed to know that he even lived with Jun, was beyond him. Stunned by her presence in his home, he found himself unable to speak. Seeing this, she spoke first "Hi Davis."

 _Gennai sighed to himself as he looked at Veemon. The poor Digimon had never been the same ever since he returned from the human world. He was going to go and try to comfort the little blue dragon when he felt his blood run cold, and as it did, elsewhere in the digital world an old enemy awoke from his sleep, shrouded in the darkest corner the digital world had to offer._


	3. Chapter Two

**Hey all! Back with another chapter now, took me a while to figure out just how to word it, hope you all enjoy! Please remember to review!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon, and this saddens me.**

 **The Dark One**

 **Chapter Two: Repressed Emotions**

Kari had to suppress a gasp at the sight that met her eyes when Davis' door opened. He looked so different than he had during their first adventure to the digital world. She had seen him around school, but now, seeing him up close and in the privacy of his home, she could see just how destroyed he had become. The bags under his eyes were very pronounced in the dim light, and his face looked thin, too thin. She had assumed that he had just lost the baby fat as he had gotten older and that the constant soccer had kept him in shape. However, looking at his sunken face and thin body now, she couldn't imagine how he'd been able to keep up with Ken and his teammates. What made her stomach churn the most though were his seemingly vacant and dull eyes. Eyes that had once been so full of love and teeming with life, and were like damaged gems, forever marred by their rough past experiences.

They stared at each other for a moment, before Davis' scratchy voice broke the silence "Hikari?"

Kari winced at his use of her full name, not once in their entire time as friends had he used it "Hi Davis."

He looked at her for a moment, then stepped aside, replying "Come in."

She obliged, looking around his room, noticing his soccer uniform, which he had once treated with such care, was crumpled on top of his bag in the corner of his room. Trophies and awards lined a bookshelf, but it was covered with so much dust it was hard to make anything out clearly. The goggles he had inherited from Tai, his most treasured possession at one point, hung loosely off the back of his desk chair, gathering dust as well. Come to think of it, she hadn't seen Davis wear then in quite some time. The only thing that didn't look like it had been severely neglected over the years was a picture that sat by his bedside, which displayed herself, TK, Yolei, Ken and Cody all smiling widely. Davis was there too, it had been taken a short time after MaloMyostismon's defeat, in fact it was the last gathering he had really attended, before he stopped going to the large ones, save a few ones that included the older kids as well. She frowned as she looked at the picture, noticing how even though the younger gogglehead was smilng, it didn't reach his eyes.

Davis internally groaned as he closed the door, cursing his luck of having her, of all people, be the one to try and talk to him. He knew it was coming, Ken warned him it would happen the previous night, after the party. He hadn't expected them to send someone the next day though. Resigning himself, he closed the door, turning to gaze at the girl before him. He hadn't spoken more than a handful of words to her in the past few months, and it showed; the awkward tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife. Even so, he took a minute to take her in; she had grown her hair out, as it was now long enough to pull into a short ponytail. Her face had lost it's childish charm, and had thinned out which in turn brought her mesmerizing dark brown eyes. She had also grown into quite the young woman in other areas as well...

He shook his head, hiding a soft blush as he looked up only to see her staring at him. He stood frozen, stuck in a trance as he gazed at her face, which was lit up from the afternoon sun peeking through the blinds. _"Damn it Davis, you spent 4 years getting her OUT of your head, don't let her back in now!"_ he mentally scolded himself, blinking a few times before putting on a fake smile.

"This is a surprise Hikari, what can I do for you?" He asked in an almost freaky formal tone.

She frowned, placing her hands on her hips "Hikari? Seriously? I think you know what this is about."

He sighed, running a hand through his hair, pulling it out of the scruffy ponytail and shaking it, causing it to cascade down his back (he hadn't had it cut in weeks). SHe blushed a little, scolding herself for getting distracted so easily. She refocused, glaring at him, waiting for him to respond. He eventually caught on, and replied "I assume you're wondering why I wasn't at the party last night?"

"Or the meetup at the ice cream parlor before school let out for the holidays. Or the meetup to go the digital world the week before. Or the meetup after your soccer game the weekend before that! Oh and how about the rest of the last FOUR YEARS! See the pattern?" She knew she had snapped at him, that much was evident by the look on his face, but she wasn't going to let up now. Before he could answer, she also added "And what, in the absolute HELL, are you calling me 'Hikari' for!"

He cringed, and thought carefully about his response "It's been a while since we last talked, and with all the space that got put between us, I figured it was better to be formal. As for everything else...I've been busy." He shrugged casually as he finished, silently wishing he hadn't as he looked at her face, now contorted with somehow controlled rage.

"BUSY?! Please, _DAISUKE_ ," she started, using his formal name too to spite him for his seemingly uncaring attitude "Tell me what was so important that you had to hide from us! From everyone, all our friends, even Ken barely sees you anymore! Why? Why leave us behind? Why did you leave ME?!" By the time she finished, she had tears in her eyes, and everything she had said to him, everything about him and where he had been, had faded from his mind. Instead, he could only focus on the last thing she had said; why had he left _HER_. He licked his lips, gathering up every last scrap of courage he'd somehow kept hidden deep within him and asked the question that changed everything. "What do you mean, why did I leave _you_?"

She looked at him through tear stained eyes, and choked out "Why did you stop talking to me? Why did you stop...liking me?"

Davis froze, his mind racing. The thoughts he had struggled to bury for 4 years all returned in an instant: _You're aren't good enough for her. She's in love with TK. She deserves someone better. You'll never be half the man TK is. She and TK belong together. You're just a pale imitation of her brother._ He took a deep breath, and after what seemed like hours (though in reality was only a few minutes), he grit his teeth, and balled his fists, trying with all his might to tell her. His scrunched up, and his nails dug so hard into his skin that he drew blood. He kept trying to ignore the voices, kept trying to force them down, but he couldn't.

Then, a miracle happened.

Somewhere, in the abyss that was threatening to swallow him, a light shone on him, and as he opened his eyes, he met hers. She held his hand tight in her own, blood poling into both of their palms, and she whispered "Please Davis, tell me."

He wasn't sure why, but at that moment, for the first time in years, he felt like himself. He took another deep breath, and looked into her eyes, saying calmly "I stopped liking on you because...because I fell I love with you, Kari. And it hurt too much to be around you knowing that I could never be with you." As he finished, he turned his head away, Kari, however, went from sad, to stunned, to bursting with happiness. She gently pulled his cheek towards hers and looked deep into his chocolate eyes, saying softly "You big dummy. You should've asked again."

His brows furrowed in confusion, before his eyes opened wide in realization "You...you mean...?" She almost giggled at him, but instead made a bold decision. She closed her eyes, leaned in and kissed him. At first, he just stood there, unsure of what to do, but slowly, he closed his own eyes, instinctively pulling her closer to him, running a hand through her hair (something he had never thought he would do). The kiss was filled with passion, and 4 years of pent up angst. For Kari, it was what she had been waiting for for what felt like forever. For Davis, it was something he hadn't even realized he needed. He knew it wasn't the cure to all his problems, but there, in that moment, he could feel the weight he'd carried as his burden vanish. All that mattered was that Kari, the Child of Light, had brought the real him back from the edge, that much he could tell.

Eventually, the need for air become too much and they separated, both panting. Kari smiled, chuckling softly as Davis took in deeper breaths to try and settle down.

"Hey Kari?"

"Yes Davis?

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Go ahead."

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

Kari giggled, once again capturing his lips with her own, playfully toying with his long hair. They broke apart again, and she asked breathlessly "Does four years of wanting to do that answer your question?"

He chuckled, and for the first time in a very long time, Kari saw the old Davis shining through "Not sure, maybe try once more?"

She grinned back at him, stopping just short of his lips and saying playfully "Or a thousand. Your choice."

* * *

Elsewhere in Odaiba, Yolei was pacing the park earnestly, muttering to herself as she did. Ken finally decided that, as beautiful as he thought she was, watching her pace like an old married woman was too much. He got up and walked slowly over too her, gently placing his hands on her shoulders "Yolei, calm down. I know you're worried about them, but pacing like you're crazy won't help." Yolei glanced up at him nervously, but instead of her usual loud-mouthing, she merely nodded and followed Ken back over to the nearby bench, hugging her for comfort. Matt sighed for what felt like the thousandth time, running a hand through his hair. Joe, Izzy, Sora, TK, Cody, Mimi and Willis all either stood or sat around the picnic table by the big tree in the park. Tai, who stood near Matt, growled loudly, kicking at the snow beneath his feet.

"I hate this! It's cold and I have no clue what's going on with Kari and Davis!"

"Chill out Tai, getting pissed off won't help."

"Come on Matt! You're just as antsy as I am!"

"Yeah but unlike you, I'm not spazzing out dude!"

Tai sighed, plopping down next to his best friend "I'm really worried about Davis, man."

"I know, I am too. I can't stand watching my friends wilt away like that."

Tai nodded "So you noticed at that game a few weeks back too?"

Matt grimaced "Yeah. Dude looked like a vampire out there. Never seen him so thin or worn out either. Like he doesn't eat or sleep at all."

"Yeah, that was my thought too. 'Course Ken is sealed up tighter'n a safe."

"Well they are DNA partners man, and they're more like brothers than me and TK are sometimes."

"I guess. Still, this whole situation might've been resolved if he'd been just a little more forthcoming in what he shared with us."

Tai sighed deeply, tousling his long brown hair "Maybe. But I think Kari is our best bet. If anyone can get that kid to open up, she can."

Matt tapped his chin, where a faint tuft of blonde hair was growing "Think she can keep it together though? Sora said she was acting really down last night at the party."

Tai looked at the chilly afternoon sky "I dunno. She's been acting weird for a while now, especially when Davis comes up. She didn't say a word to me last night honestly."

Matt raised a brow "You don't think..."

Tai looked back over at him with a confused expression, until realization dawned on him "Oh SHIT!"

Matt face palmed at that, groaning as he looked at his friend "Seriously? It never ONCE occurred to you she MIGHT have feelings for him?"

Tai shook his head "I always figured she'd end up trying with TK again honestly."

Matt laughed "Yeah right, if anything TK'll end up with that French girl. You know, Catherine?"

It was Tai's turn to raise a brow "Really? Huh, didn't see that coming."

Matt shrugged "Who would've thought that Kari would ever return Davis' feelings? Might be a moot point now though, haven't even seen the two talk more than a few words to each other in a long time now."

Tai scowled slightly "Well then until we know for sure let's not get ahead of ourselves. Besides, she just went to go talk to him right? What could possibly happen?"

* * *

Kari and Davis sat on the edge of his bed, as they had been for the past hour. After some much needed hugging and kissing, they had finally decided it was time to talk. Davis had just finished catching her up on what had happened to him in the past 4 years. She sat close to him, her fingers intertwined with his. A small tear rolled down her cheek as she listened to him, offering him her silent support. As he finally finished, he sighed, feeling the burden that had been weighing him down begin to lift itself from his shoulders. "So that's why I tried to distance myself...I felt that I was...just a burden n you guys. That you...you'd be better off without me." Kari once again stunned him by pulling him into a tight hug.

"You could never be a burden. A pain sure, but it hasn't been the same without you."

Davis smiled softly into her shoulder "Thanks Kari. I...I needed to hear that."

"Well you could've just said something sooner you big goof."

"I suppose. Though I'm glad it was you who came to talk to me."

"Oh come on, it was either I go or we stage an elaborate intervention. Pretty sure you wouldn't want that." Kari joked, hoping to raise his spirits.

It had the desired effect, and he gave her a genuine smile, saying softly "Thank you Kari. I don't know where I'd be without you."

She blushed, but didn't bother to hide it. She was to happy. She leaned in and kissed his cheek, causing him to blush too. "And just to we're clear, there was nthing between me and TK romance wise, and there never will be. He's like a twin brother more than a boyfriend to me. We already cleared that up with one date."

Davis nodded, feeling better at having her said it out loud. "I'll take it. I might not have had your first kiss but that's okay."

"Huh?" Kari blinked "What do you mean?"

"You have dated other guys right?"

"Uh, no not really."

"Wait. So if TK wasn't your first kiss then..."

"Yup. It was you. Like, an hour ago."

"Uh..." Davis didn't have any words at that, instead he felt an intense wave of happiness and pride hit him, and it showed; the guy was practically glowing.

Kari giggled, and pulled his face to hers, locking their lips again. "That's right Davis, I waited four years for you, so you better get it together."

Davis grinned and nodded, before he thought of something and he frowned "What about the others?"

Kari frowned slightly too "Up to you. They're awaiting my 'report' in the park right now. You can come with if you want, or I can just tell them whatever you're comfortable with."

Davis shook his head "I'll go see them. Just let me put something warmer on and we can go."

Kari looked at him with slight concern "Just like that?"

Davis shrugged, pulling his hair back into a ponytail "No time like the present. Besides if I back out now it'll probably take another intense make out session to get me raring to go again."

Kari quirked a brow "Somehow I think I'm ok with that."

He blushed furiously, making her giggle uncontrollably. Smiling wickedly, Davis pounced on her, tickling her like crazy. Eventually they stopped, trading tickling for kissing. After another half hour of just enjoying each other's company, they made their way to the front door, not noticing Jun's jaw scraping the carpet as she watched her recently turned hermit of a brother laughing...loudly...with a girl...a REAL girl...hanging off his arm...as he called "See ya later Jun!" over his shoulder. As he shut the door, Jun finally managed to reattached the two parts of her mouth, she found herself at a loss for words. The only solid thought that went through her mind was _All it took was an hour and a half with Kari to fix this? Why the hell didn't I try it sooner!_

 _Elsewhere, a yellow eye gleams from inside an ancient tomb. Feeling this, the mighty Azulongmon rises from his rest, growling to himself, muttering "I hope the digidestined are ready, because this is going to take all of them in order to succeed."_

 **PHEW! FINALLY DONE! Only took 3000 words and 12 hours of thinking! Please Review and tell me what you think!**


	4. Chapter Three

**A/N Hey all! Hope ya'll enjoyed the last few chapters, it's been fun to write. I know the last chapter might have seemed rushed as far as the romance goes, but in my mind two 16 year olds don't exactly move slowly if they've been dancing around each other for 4 years. Anyway, please enjoy chapter three and remember to REVIEW! I LOVE REVIEWS! THEY MAKE ME WRITE BETTER!**

 **Disclaimer: Blah blah Blah Digimon blah blah blah not mine blah blah blah I hate the epilogue**

 **Chapter Three: Confrontation**

"I think I'm starting to regret this decision" Davis muttered as he and Kari walked side by side to the park to meet up with the other digidestined.

"Well it's too late now. I already emailed Tai and the others and let them know we were coming" she replied, gently taking his hand in hers.

"I guess. I haven't spoken to Yolei or Sora in years though. In fact I've only really talked to Matt and Tai in the last few months" Davis said softly, casting his gaze downwards.

"Davis" Kari said, intertwining their fingers and stopping them "Look at me."

Davis looked up at her, gazing into her eyes as she leaned up and planted a kiss on his lips, pulling back after a moment and smiling at him "Just relax and it'll be fine. They're still your friends."

He smiled at that, but then frowned slightly "Kari I think we should keep...us...under wraps for now."

Kari frowned "Why? Are you...ashamed...of me?"

Davis looked at her with slight panic in his eyes "What? No! Never! It's just...I'm not sure if I can deal with all of it at once. 4 years is a long time. And it...it still hurts. It's going t take me some time..." he was cut off as she kissed him again. "It's okay, I understand. We'll sort it out, just give it some time. Now come on let's go" she said, once again intertwining their fingers as they walked onwards.

* * *

"Oh come on, it is NOT that far from Davis' to the park is it?" Matt grumbled, rubbing his hands together to warm them up a little.

"Come on babe try to relax a little. Kari only told us they were coming 5 minutes ago" Sora said, kissing his forehead softly.

"Yeah come on Matt, they won't be long now" Mimi said grinning.

"I'm just amazed she actually got him out of his room" Ken muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Oh please, if anyone can convince _Davis_ to come out it's Kari" Yolei said, rubbing small circles on Ken's back.

"I wouldn't be so sure Yolei" Tai said quietly, lost in his own little world.

"Tai's right, Davis' crush on Kari has pretty much vanished. Hell, he never even talks to her anymore" Cody interjected, pulling his jacket closer around him.

"Or the rest of us" TK added, frowning. Yolei, Mimi, Cody, Mimi, Joe and Izzy all began to pipe up, voicing their aggravation and agreement with what TK had said.

Suddenly Tai whirled on them, losing his temper and booming "ENOUGH!" They all froze at that, taken aback by what he had said.

"I agree, what is the matter with you guys? We're his FRIENDS!" Matt hollered, getting up to stand by Tai.

"We have NO idea why Davis abandoned us, but that doesn't give ANYONE the right to judge him!" Tai roared, fed up with the negative attitude most of the others seemed to have.'

"You guys really haven't seen what's been happening to him have you?" Matt pushed, growing angrier by the second. However, Tai placed a hand on his shoulder "They're here."

* * *

Davis and Kari rounded the corner, only to see Tai and Matt screaming their heads off at everyone else. Davis flinched for just a moment before Kari squeezed his hand comfortingly, giving him a nod of encouragement. He smiled at her, and whispered "I'm ready." With that they separated putting just a little bit of distance between them as they approached the group, spotted first by Tai, who they could see was getting Matt's attention as they closer. Almost at once, every pair of eyes landed on Davis, and he suddenly remembered why he had decided to stay away from them for so long. Kari nudged him forward a little, and, taking one last look at her, slowly walked towards the others. Once he got closer, Sora and Mimi gasped, and Yolei brought a hand to her mouth. TK, Cody, Izzy and Joe had similar reactions, and Ken simply looked away. Only Tai and Matt managed to keep their composure upon seeing Davis' pale complexion (so unlike the tan skin tone he was known for), dull and sunken eyes, thin body and long crimson hair pulled into a ponytail.

"Davis. It's been a while man!" Tai said, trying his best to put on a smile.

"Yeah dude, we missed ya" Matt concurred, trying not to freak the poor kid out.

Kari frowned, and puffed her cheeks as she stepped forward saying "Guys, he's not a freak show, at least TRY to act normal."

TK was the first to recover, and stepped forward, trying and failing to put on a smile, but when he opened his mouth he found he had no words.

Yolei pulled her hand away, and said "Davis what the hell happened to you? You look...well...I dunno, like a dead person!"

Davis cringed, and Sora facepalmed "Nice tact there Yol."

Ken spared a glance at Davis, who returned it with a small smile. Feeling slightly more at ease, Ken stood up, moving towards his friend, clasping a hand on his shoulder and saying "And here I thought I'd never see the day when you would finally decide to get your lazy ass out the house for something other than soccer or school. You look like shit by the way."

Davis narrowed his eyes, and responded "And you look like a bitch with that scarf on. I told you to stop letting your mom do all your shopping."

The tension grew and everyone shifted nervously, before both boys burst out laughing, holding onto each other for support. Kari giggled a little behind her hand, glad to see some of Davis' fire back. He had told her that up until recently he and Ken still got along like they always did, but seeing was believing in her opinion. Eventually Tai and Matt snickered too, understanding all too well the banter between DNA partners was good and healthy, if a little vulgar.

After they managed to settle back down, Cody cleared his throat, and said "Sorry to interrupt, but we have some questions."

Davis sighed, turning back too the group, looking around and nodding his head, as if to give the go ahead to launch the questions.

The barrage that came his way, however, was not what he was expecting: "Where have you been?" "Why have you been avoiding us?" "Did something happen to you?" "Why haven't you spoken to any of us in so long?" "Why do you look so sick?" "When was the last time you slept?" "Are you dying?" "Why did you decide to up and abandon your role as a digidestined?"

Kari tried to bite her tongue, as did Matt, Tai and Ken, but when Davis began to back up slowly, unsure as where to start, she whirled on them, but before could even open her mouth, she saw the panic in his eyes. Too late she reached up and tried to stop him, but before she could he fell back, clutching his chest. In the initial shck and confusion, he bolted, sprinting away as fast as his legs would carry him.

"DAVIS!" Kari yelled, but he rounded the corner, not looking back. "We'll get 'im, you stay here with the others Kari" Tai said, taking off with Matt and Ken in tow.

Once they were out of sight, Kari turned back to the others, who looked at her in shock when they saw the tears in her eyes "YOU IDIOTS!" Kari screamed, trying to not to curl into a ball and cry her eyes out. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT HE'S BEEN THORUGH?! THE TRAUMAS HE SUFFERED ALONE BECAUSE OF WHAT'S HAPPENED?!" The thought of all the things he had shared with her earlier tore through Kari, and with it she fell to her knees and started to sob uncontrollably. Sora knelt down next to Kari, pulling the younger girl into a firm hug, Mimi bending down to pat the girls back as they guided her to the nearby bench.

"Kari" Sora began softly "I know you're frustrated, and you want Davis to tell us himself, but maybe if you gave us something, we'd be able to figure out hw to ask him the rest ourselves. Without freaking him out." Kari nodded, calming down a little, before saying "Okay, but you HAVE to let me tell you, no interruptions got it?" When they all nodded she took a deep breath "It all started just after we defeated MaloMyotismon..."

* * *

Willis had been on his way back to the others after wandering off to find a bathroom when he saw Davis running past him, followed by Tai, Matt and Ken. After a brief explanation he tore of to help find Davis too. Eventually they decided to split up and cover more ground. As he was running, Tai spotted Davis sitting down against a wall in alleyway. Sighing, Tai ran a hand through his hair and walked over to Davis. "Heya."

"What?" Davis asked, startled as he looked at Tai, fear and panic rising in his eyes again.

"Relax dude. not here to pressure you."

"Then...why are you here?"

"You're my friend dude. I'll always be here for you."

"I know. Look, Tai...I'm sorry. You trusted me to be a leader and I've failed. Hardcore."

"Naw, life just caught up with you bud."

"No, it didn't. Tai...you deserve to know the truth."

* * *

Matt, Ken and Willis met back up in the city center a short time later, and Matt looked around curiously, asking "Hold up just one minute! Where the hell is Tai?"

"Over here! I found him!" Tai yelled, walking towards them with a much calmer Davis behind him.

"Davis!" Willis yelled, running over to his friend and pulling him into a quick hug "So glad to see you man!"

"Thanks Willis, it's great to see you too." Davis said, a weary smile on his face.

"We're sorry about the others dude" Matt said, patting the crimson haired boy on the back.

"Actually, I think it's time I told you the truth..." Davis said, and began his story.

* * *

The rest of the digidestined were still trying to process what Kari had told them. TK had wandered off to bash his fist into a tree in anger. Yolei was standing alone, wondering how Davis had managed to bottle it all up for so long. Cody was thinking off all the times he had missed the signs before it had becme too late. Joe and Mimi were holding each other, with Joe trying to comfort his girlfriend. Izzy was simply feeling for his friend, worrying about his well being. Sora, however, had pushed thoughts of Davis to the side and was focusing on Kari. "Kari...I have to ask you something."

"What is it Sora?"

"You love Davis don't you?"

"I..." Kari began, then sighed "Yes. I do."

Sora smiled at her "I figured. I'm happy for you."

"Thanks Sora. Listen...I need to tell you something."

"What is it Kari?"

"As of about 2ish hours ago Davis and I we...we got together."

"WHAT?!"

"Sora please! We don't want the others to know!"

"Wait, why not?"

"Because we didn't want t pring it on everyone so soon! I mean, it's literally been all of 2 hours since we kissed for the first time!"

"Hold up, you kissed?"

"Sora!"

"Alright fine I'm sorry, but seriously Kari why keep it a secret?"

"Didn't you hear me?"

"Well yeah but if what you said is true, then why do want to hide it? You guys spent 4 years apart without knowing each other's feelings. And with everything that's been happening the last thing he needs is another secret to keep."

"Are you sure?"

"My crest isn't love for nothing Kari."

"True...oh my god they found him!" Kari whispered, standing up and looking at the 5 boys walking back towards the park.

"Go get him Kari. He needs to know."

"You're absolutely sure I'm not making a mistake?"

Sora merely nodded, tilting her head towards Davis. Taking her cue from Sora, Kari raced over to Davis.

* * *

Matt and Willis trudged along in silence after hearing Davis' story. Tai reached over and placed a hand on Matt's shoulder. Willis received similar encouragement from Ken. As he stared at Davis' back, Willis thougnt _"To go through all that alone...Crest of Courage is an understatement_.

"You sure you're ready for this Davis?" Tai asked as they came close to the park.

"Yeah...I need to do this. Thanks for having my back guys." Davis said, looking over his shoulder and smiling.

"We're here for you. Let's go." Ken said and the others nodded.

As they came around the corner however, Davis was met with a hug from Kari, almost knocking him over, the others not far behind him. They faded into the background when he saw she was crying a little though. He tipped her head upwards, and whispered "I'm sorry. I'm alright now, I promise."

"Good, because I'm about to do something crazy." Kari replied

Davis frowned in confusion "What do you mean?"

Kari grinned, and leaned in and kissed him. This of course earned shocked looks from everyone except for Sora, who was trying not to laugh at the look on Tai's face.

* * *

 _Far off in the Digital World, Gatoman sat with Veemon, doing their weekly talk. It helped Veemon to talk to someone. "Y'know, I don't know why but I feel like Davis'll be ok." Veemon said happily. Gatoman nodded "I get the same vibe about Kari. Who knows, maybe they finally got together huh?" They both laughed, hopeful that their partners would be ok. And soon, given how worried Gennai had seemed recently_

 **Hope you enjoyed! PLEASE REVIEW I BEG YOU! TILL NEXT TIME!**


	5. Chapter Four

**-A/N So I'm getting pretty pumped about this story, and it's making writing easier. Just ask Davis!**

 **Davis: You turned me into a frail bitch.**

 **Me: Yeah but you're with Kari!**

 **Kari: That would've happened anyway.**

 **Davis: For real Joe, the only cool thing is that my hair is long.**

 **Me: ...I hate you.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon. I might one day, but I'm lazy so I don't think I will.**

 **The Dark One**

 **Chapter Four: The Plan**

It had been two weeks since the park meeting, and things had definitely gotten better for the entire group, including Davis. After a few days of carefully avoiding Tai, Davis and Kari had become attached virtually at the hip. This wasn't lost on the others, and as Willis had joked before he left for America a week earlier, _"I guess 4 years of built up angst and radio silence makes for a great motivator!"_ As Christmas was right around the corner, Sora had decided to drag Yolei and Kari to the mall with her to meet up with Mimi and go shopping. Sora and Mimi were waiting outside the mall, winter coats pulled on tightly as they waited for the other girls.

"So-o-o-o-o cold!" Mimi squealed, wrapping her scarf tighter around her neck.

"Don't worry they'll be here soon." Sora said, smiling and patting Mimi's back.

"Sorry we're late!" Yolei called to them, racing over with Kari in tow.

"It's alright, we haven't been here long. Was there traffic or something?" Sora replied.

At this Yolei looked at Kari and glared, saying "Oh no, I just couldn't wrench Kari away from her boyfriend's lips was all. Should've gone in there with an industrial strength forklift I swear."

Kari puffed her cheeks "Well excuuuse me! Forgive me if I want to spend some time with him."

Yolei quirked a brow "Says the girl wearing his jacket. And his scarf."

Kari blushed, folding her arms over her chest "They're warmer than mine."

Sora giggled, leading the girls inside and into the warmth of the mall "Hey don't pick on her, at least now she can be with him and not have to worry about Tai punching his lights out."

Kari pouted slightly "I swear, he's so dense. And a jerk."

Mimi laughed "This IS Tai we're talking about. I think the only reason he's ok with it is because it's Davis. Although you two COULD dial it down a bit."

Yolei nodded "Yeah, seriously. None of us were that bad when we got with our boyfriends."

Kari scowled at her "Hmph. I love him and he loves me. Forgive me if I want to treasure that."

Sora smiled at her "I agree. Besides you waited four years, we should've seen it coming."

Kari sighed "I'm just so glad he's getting better."

Mimi paused, looking at her carefully before asking "So...he is getting better then?"

Sora and Yolei looked at Kari too, but the brown haired girl sighed, and replied "Yeah, he is. He's sleeping better too. He still has his moments, but those will only get better as time goes on."

The others nodded, but then a thought struck Mimi "Wait, how do you know how he sleeps?"

Kari blushed furiously, and put her hands in front of her as Yolei and Sora quirked their brows at her "Nothing like that! Jeez! I've just been spending the night at his place is all! It helps us both sleep easier! Besides, Jun would kill BOTH of us if we did that in her apartment!"

At the mention of Davis' sister, the other three girls sighed sadly, having heard a little of what had become of Davis' shattered family, although only Tai Ken and Kari knew the full story. Sora was the first to recover, trying to keep them on topic "So...what does Tai think of this?" For the past 6 months, Kari had been living in Tai's 2 bedroom apartment that his parents had been paying for while he was going to school. Mr. Kamiya had received a job offer in Kyoto, and he and his wife had agreed to let Kari stay only because of the friends she had made and her responsibilities as a digidestined. That meant that Tai was the boss, and convincing him that she and Davis were not up to anything inappropriate and that Jun was keeping them in line had taken a few days, but in the end he had relented. After a talk with Davis of course.

Kari tapped her chin thoughtfully for a moment, before saying "Honestly he's ok with it. Not happy per se, but he knows Davis would never do anything to hurt me or take advantage or anything like that so..."

Yolei gaped at her "Seriously? My parents get mad if Ken and I stay out past 9:30!"

Mimi folded her arms, muttering "At least you guys get to spend time with your boyfriends. Between sporadic visits and medical school Joe and I can barely find the time."

Yolei patted her back "Don't worry, soon he'll be in New York with you while he works for his doctorate."

Kari smiled softly, nodding in agreement before looking at her purple haired friend "Besides, who are YOU to give ME grief over PDA? After the last two years between you and Ken?"

At this all 4 girls laughed, going into the nearest store to start their shopping.

* * *

Davis and Matt were walking out of a jewelry store elsewhere in Odaiba, chatting about the upcoming gig Matt's band had. "It's going to be awesome" Matt was saying "We're gonna kill it up there, especially with our new song."

"Sounds like a good time man" Davis said with a small smile. Davis had already begun to look somewhat recovered in the past weeks, and his demeanor was no exception.

"Oh it will be. What a way to kick off the new year. And I expect you and Tai to be there backstage of course. I can't bring everyone but I figure bringing two of my best buds would make up for it."

Davis looked up at him, taken aback "Really? What about Sora? Or TK?"

Matt waved a hand "Sora's going to Kawaguchi to see her grandparents that week, and TK's more a dub-step kinda guy. Lots of Skrillex."

Davis chuckled at that "Wow, really wouldn't have expected that."

Matt laughed "Yeah, I figured I'd take my rock and roll brothers with me to see this one."

Davis smiled at him "Sounds like Sora and Kari put you up to it."

"HAH! Well, I take back any of the times I insulted your perceptiveness my friend" Matt said grinning. "So I didn't ask before, but what'd you get her in there?"

Davis grinned back at him, reaching into the small gift bag and withdrawing a pearl-white box. As he opened it, Matt's jaw dropped, and muttered "Damn Davis."

* * *

Kari sighed as she quietly scanned the aisles in the department store for something she could get Davis. She knew it had to be special, but nothing she saw seemed right. Sora walked up beside her, poking Kari's side and saying "Hey you, penny for your thoughts."

"Hey Sora, where are the other two?" Kari asked smiling.

"Trying on every article of clothing this place had to offer" Sora giggled, rolling her eyes. Kari joined her giggled too, wandering over to look at a row of hoodies.

"Having trouble finding something for Davis?" Sora nudged her.

"Yeah. I just...I just want it to be perfect. It may be sudden, but it'll be the first Christmas that we're going to celebrate with him in 4 years. And...it'll be our first Christmas together..." Kari said, looking down at the ground.

Sora smiled softly, placing a hand on Kari's shoulder "And...?"

Kari sighed, biting her lip "I just got him back, Sora. I want...no, I NEED...for this to be a hundred and ten percent perfect. I can't risk losing him again, I..."

Sora quickly pulled the younger girl, whom she considered a sister, into a quick hug, and said soothingly "Come on now, you're not going to lose him Kari. You guys love each other, you'll be fine."

Kari smiled and nodded, replying "Thanks Sora, I don't know where I'd be without your help. This has been so hard for him, and your advice has helped make a big difference."

"Don't sell yourself short Kari; he wouldn't be back with us at all without you." Sora said, patting her back.

"I can't believe I managed to keep myself away for so long" Kari winked, causing them both to giggle again, moving back down the aisle.

"You could always get him a set of hair ties for that majestic mane of his" Sora teased.

"Are you kidding me? That hair it's so...sexy" Kari said, grinning madly.

Sora threw back her head and laughed, stopping only when Kari spotted something in the jewelry section (as the younger girl had dashed over to one of the display cases).

Running over and leaning over Kari's shoulder, Sora gasped whispering "Oh Kari..."

Kari grinned widely "I know. I found what I need."

* * *

Ken and Tai were walking around an electronics store with Izzy and Cody, browsing for potential gifts. "Man, I feel so bad for Davis" Tai sighed.

Cody raised a brow at him "What do you mean?"

Izzy also frowned "Yeah, I thought you were over the whole guilt thing now Tai."

The leader of the first generation shook his head, and replied "That's not it. Jun's going up to Sapporo to visit her boyfriend's family, and his parents...OOF!" He was cut off as Ken elbowed him hard in the ribs. Davis had yet to disclose the current shambles his family was in to the rest of the group, having only told Ken, Tai and Kari, and had asked the three to keep it a secret until the younger goggle head was prepared to tell everyone.

"What's going on with his parents?" Izzy asked, turning to face Tai and Ken, Cody mirroring his actions.

"Uh, well, you see, uh..." Tai stuttered, giving Ken a slightly panicked look.

"They're going to Kyoto to visit Davis' grandfather! He's in poor health you see" Ken said quickly, hoping they would buy it.

They digidestined pair of knowledge merely nodded, seemingly taking his word for it. Tai and Ken both let out a small sigh of relief, Ken glaring at the older boy.

"So what's he going to do then?" Cody asked, not liking the idea of their friend spending the holidays alone after the past 4 years of solitude.

"I dunno, Kari said she invited him to spend Christmas with us, but he said he'd be okay. Something about not wanting to be overwhelmed, after all it's only been two weeks since he finally started to open up to us again" Tai replied, though he was half lying. He had been there with Kari when she had asked him. "She managed to convince him to at least come over and spend a few hours with us, though I doubt he'll stay for dinner." Tai looked up, pinching the bridge of his nose as he thought back to Davis' response to the invitiation with a heavy heart.

 _"Come on Davis, it'll just be you, me, Tai and my parents. We'll have a lot of fun!" Kari said, smiling warmly at him._

 _Davis shook his head vigorously, looking out the window of the café they were in "I'm sorry, but the answer's still no."_

 _Tai frowned "Come on man, I know it's hard adjusting to all this, but you can't spend Christmas alone!"_

 _Davis sighed "It isn't about that."_

 _Kari looked at him with worry, gently placing her hand over his "Then what is it?"_

 _Davis bit his lip, taking a deep breath before replying "This Christmas will be the third anniversary of the day my parents finalized their divorce." This shocked the Kamiya siblings into silence as he continued "Being around and seeing other people with happy families when I haven't even spoken to my parents in over two years is...it's not something I want to do."_

 _Kari leaned her head on his shoulder, unsure of what to say. Tai frowned for a moment, before putting on a smile "That's fair I guess. But at least drop by and open some presents with us okay? Our parents won't be in until dinner time so we can spend the afternoon together. Sound like a good plan?"_

 _Davis looked at him, then at the girl on his shoulder, and smiled at them "Yeah actually. I guess I can do that."_

 _Kari puffed her cheek "You guess? No way, you're coming over for sure, otherwise I'll have to drag you over myself."_

 _Tai and Davis looked at her for a moment, before the trio burst into laughter "Alright, alright! I'll be over!" Davis said finally, getting him a kiss on the cheek from Kari and a thumbs up from Tai._

"Well that's better than nothing I guess" Cody sighed, looking at a samurai based video game.

"Unless..." Izzy said, tapping his chin.

"Unless what?" Ken asked quirking a brow.

"What if we did our own thing this year? I mean all of us, the entire digidestined crew" Izzy said thoughtfully.

"Hey that's not a bad idea!" Tai said, slapping his friend on the shoulder.

"But where do we go?" Ken asked thoughtfully.

"Hmph, leave that to me!" Izzy said smiling.

"What did you have in mind?" asked Cody.

"Well, remember how I'm working for Digicorps now?" Izzy said looking at the other three. When they all nodded he grinned "Well I'm not working for peanuts y'know. I'm the only one there who actually knows how to work a digiport, so they offered me a tidy sum to work for them."

"How much?" Tai asked.

Looking around so as not to be overheard, Izzy whispered something to them. He burst out laughing when he saw all of their jaws hit the floor, leaving cracks in the tile.

"Holy mother of god Izzy..." Tai muttered.

"Yup. Now, with that said, it needs to be somewhere special. It'll be the first time all of us are together in quite a while, so we need to be careful where we go. Oh, and we need to do it without Davis knowing, because I'm pretty sure he'll say no if we tell him straight out."

"You're right, which means we need to be as inconspicuous as possible. We should probably make plans to go wherever we're going a few days before the 25th, just to be safe. And then there's the matter of dragging Davis out there without him suspecting anything." Tai nodded.

After a moment, they all grinned, and replied at the same time "Kari."

* * *

"You want me to what?!" Kari yelled at her brother, as they sat in the Kamiya siblings' apartment, surrounded by everyone else.

Tai cringed "Look, we all talked it over, and there's no way he'll just up and go with anyone else Kari."

Matt nodded "We already talked it over with our families, and they agreed that we need to be there for Davis this time around. No one should spend Christmas alone. Hell, even Willis is forking over the extra cash to catch a flight back from America."

Kari pouted "Why am I always the scapegoat. I hate lying to him."

Yolei's brow twitched slightly "Think about it Kari, you'll have an entire 3 hours alone with him on the train."

Kari suddenly stopped pouting, and would have probably begun to drool had Sora not nudged her softly, causing the younger girl to blush "Fine. Where are we going again?"

Izzy turned his laptop around for everyone to see "We'll be going to the AYA Niseko Resort, and we'll be there for about two weeks, which'll be the rest of winter break for you younger kids, but it should be worth it. I've booked us several rooms, and it's all paid for."

Tai shook his head "I can't believe your boss just handed you the company card and told you to go crazy."

Izzy grinned "Well, I got Gennai to send over some more data on digiports so my boss told me to consider it a Christmas bonus."

Matt chuckled "Now if he could just get a girlfriend everything would be alright."

Tai and the others began laughing, until Sora cleared her throat "Last I checked, only Matt, Ken and Davis had girlfriends guys."

"Hey!" Joe cried indignantly.

"Oh right, sorry Joe" Sora laughed nervously, while Tai, Cody, TK and Izzy pouted.

"Well regardless, we leave three days from now" Izzy said, still a bit miffed "So everyone go home and pack your bags, we'll meet at the Odaiba station at 9:30 sharp on Thursday morning. Kari, you and Davis will catch the 12:30 train to give us a head start."

Kari nodded, but added "Y'know guys, I'm still not sure he'll come along. He's not as dense as he was in elementary school."

Yolei grinned slyly "Oh I'm you'll find _some way_ to convince him." She winked and caused Kari to blush furiously.

* * *

Davis was sitting at home flipping through tv channels when a knock came on his door. Sighing, he got up and answered it, only to find his girlfriend on the other side. Grinning at her, he moved aside to let her in. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Can't a girl just drop by to see her man?" Kari asked innocently.

"Not when she has a look that screams 'I'm hiding something' on her face."

Kari pouted "I can't be that easy to read."

Davis laughed "You've never been a good liar Kari."

"Whatever. Look, go and pack your bags. We're going away for a few days."

"Huh?"

"Yup! You, me and Tai are gonna spend a couple weeks in the mountains before school starts!"

"Kari..."

"I don't wanna hear it. Now hurry up, we've got to be at the train station tomorrow by 12:30, Tai's gonna go ahead of us and make sure our lodging is taken care of."

"Kari, I don't know...what about your parents?"

"They're gonna spend some time with mom's parents in Tokyo, they'll be fine."

"Still..."

Groaning in frustration, Kari pounced on him, tackling him to the ground and pinning him to the floor. "I won't let you up until you agree to come with me."

Davis laughed "Oh yeah, and what if I say no?"

Kari smirked evilly, leaning in and kissing him passionately, taking him by surprise. However, she pulled back, panting slightly, and replied "I won't do that anymore."

Davis' eyes went wide, and after some serious stuttering, said "How long are we going for again?"

* * *

The next day, Tai and the others set out for Niseko, laughing and joking on the long train ride. 3 hours later, Davis and Kari boarded their own train, sitting close and enjoying each other's company. They exchanged light conversation, taking in the view of the countryside in winter. Davis wasn't sure what Kari and Tai had planned, but for some reason he got the feeling he could live with it.

 _On a mysterious island in the digital world, a being in a dark cloak stood in the ruins of an old castle, an evil smirk on his face "Time for some fun."_

* * *

 **Alright! Hope you enjoyed, special shoutout to Ro, thanks for reviewing man it meant a lot to be given such high praise! Thanks to all my other reviewers as well, I really hope more of you decide to give me some feedback! Anyway that's it for now, so for now I say Sayonara!**

 **PS: PLEASE REVIEW!**


	6. Chapter Five

**A/N Hey all! Silver Tongue back again, and I'm freaking STOKED (and I'm like 10 years too young to say that but whatever) for this next chapter! HUGE Thanks to Coyter53 for that awesome review, really meant a lot! And Show Expert 1 as well, thanks for the encouragement! As always, please enjoy and review! Now then, time for another chapter! I wonder, are my characters as excited as I am?**

 **Davis: Nope.**

 **Kari: Not in the least.**

 **Me: ...-cries in a corner-**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon, but I asked Santa so maybe I'll be on the good list this year!**

 **The Dark One**

 **Chapter Five: Gifts**

"You know, I really love your hair this long" Kari said, twirling one of his crimson locks with her finger.

"Yeah? Honestly it just kind of grew, I never even bothered to cut it" Davis replied, moving a few strands out of his face.

"I was talking to Sora about it, it's a really good look on you" she said smiling.

"So are you, Kari" Davis grinned at her, the same grin he had worn during their digital adventures.

She blushed a little, moving a strand of hair behind her ear, before planting a gentle kiss on hi cheek "Only you, Davis. Only you."

He grinned even wider, intertwining his fingers with hers as they sat in comfortable silence for a little.

* * *

"Holy crap this place is amazing!" Tai exclaimed, looking out at the ski resort as the others got off the train in Niseko.

"No kidding, remind me to send your boss a thank you note" Matt muttered as they looked over the beautiful resort.

"I'm sure he'll be fine without one, Gennai's data put him the best mood he's been in for a while" Izzy replied with a grin.

"Wow, I can't wait! Two weeks of relaxation and romance! Come on Joe!" Mimi cried, dragging poor Joe behind her.

"Heh, maybe I was wrong; Kari isn't the most affectionate one of us" Yolei said with a smirk.

The others laughed, until Sora pointed out "Once again it's hilarious how YOU are the one giving others grief on PDA, Yolei." This made both her and Ken blush, and sent Matt and Tai into fits of laughter.

After he managed to recompose himself, Tai said "Well, you guys better head on after Mimi before she and Joe get lost.I will stay here and wait for the other two."

Matt furrowed his brow "But you'll be out here for almost three hours, are you sure?"

Tai waved a hand "Oh please, I'll go for a walk or something, no biggie."

TK shrugged "Well that settles that then. Come on guys, let's go!"

* * *

"What are you and Tai planning anyway Kari?" Davis asked with his eyes narrowed, nudging her side.

Kari merely waved a finger at him, smiling brightly "No way, you aren't gonna get it out of me until we get there."

Davis sighed, feigning mock irritation, and said in a very Mimi-like tone "Whatever."

Kari puffed her cheek, and poked him in the side "Hey, none of that! Smiles only on this train mister."

Davis smiled gently "You're right, sorry Kari."

She frowned a little "Davis, I know I said you had to come but...if it really is too much I'll understand is you want to stay behind..."

She was cut off as Davis kissed her, making her gasp before melting into his embrace. He pulled away, and said softly "No way, I'm a man of my word."

Kari smiled sheepishly at him "I know. Just one more thing I love about you."

* * *

Tai sighed, kicking the snow beneath his feet as he trudged along the forests of the resort, checking his watch constantly. "Urgh, I'm so bored! Why didn't I just go with the others?!"

"Good question" a voice said from behind him.

Tai whirled around, and a grin spread across his face "Willis!"

The American boy smiled "That's my name don't wear it out!"

Tai walked back up the path to him "You already check in with the others?"

"Sure did! Asked where you were and they told me you might be out here. Standing in one place and waiting for Kari and Davis seemed a little to much for you."

"Haha, yeah I lasted a good 15 minutes, but after that I had to go do something, even if it was only walk around and be bored to tears."

"Well, you want some company?"

Tai tapped his chin "I guess. Although you're gonna have to go meet up with the others later."

Willis nodded "I figured. I can't wait to see the look on his face when we all jump at him. Although..." he trailed off, a serious look on his face.

Tai stopped and looked at him "What?"

Willis looked at Tai gravely "We might just give him a fatal heart attack." After a brief moment of silence, both boys burst into laughter.

"God, I hope not. I think Kari would murder us all if we killed her boyfriend."

"So true! By the way, I must say I'm surprised at how well you're coping with their very blatant relationship."

"Not like I have much choice. Besides, unlike anyone else she could have picked, I trust Davis completely. With both Matt and I's Crests as well as the Crest of Miracles, and having saved ALL of us from Malomyotismon, it's hard not to trust him. I chose the second generation's leader well."

"A little birdie told me they were virtually living together though, how'd you take that?" Willis asked teasingly.

Tai came to an abrupt halt, turning to face a tree, and kicked it as hard as he could repeatedly, uttering curses that made even the American boy blush. When he was done, Tai adjusted his jacket, and said calmly "That's how."

* * *

Sora gasped as she opened the door to her and Matt's shared room, a big grin on her face "Oh my god, it's perfect!" Matt followed her in, and a grin plastered itself on his face too. "Wow, Izzy wasn't kidding when he said he went balls to the wall for this trip."

"I know, it's incredible how successful he's become huh?"

"Was that a crack at my band Sora?"

"Maybe..." Sora winked.

"Well then I'm just gonna have to get you back then!" Matt tackled her gently down, tickling her and sending the poor redhead into fits of laughter.

* * *

"Holy moly, Joe! Look how pretty the room is!" Mimi squealed, running around like a kid in a candy store.

"Not as pretty as you, but it'll do" he replied, smiling at her warmly.

Mimi blushed a little, then leaped at him, pressing him against the wall as she kissed him "You know just how to brighten my day, Mr. Reliable."

"Well it's what I'm best at."

"How did I get so lucky with you?"

"Might have something to do with the way I hit puberty. Y'know stopped acting like a brat and got myself together."

"Or those new glasses. They give off this sort of James Bond vibe. It's addicting and sexy."

"Oh, then pardon me miss but I prefer my martinis..." Joe said in a mock English accent as he twirled her around and pressed her against the wall "Shaken, not stirred."

Mimi just looked at him, mouth open and watering "Okay, take me to you getaway car now, or I'll have to put you down right now."

* * *

Ken and Yolei gasped as they entered their room, holding each other's hands. They hadn't told their parents they'd be camping together, but they knew it would only cause trouble if they did. They knew it might be their only chance at spending alone time with each other for a while so they intended to treasure it.

"Man, this is awesome! I'm glad Izzy managed to get this all together!" Ken said, kissing Yolei's temple.

"For sure. Remind me to make sure he gets his present first" Yolei muttered, wrapping her arms around Ken's waist.

"Deal. Wait till Davis gets a load of this, even he'll be in speechless."

Yolei thought for a moment, before an evil smirk came upon her face "Y'know...we do have a little over an hour before he and Kari get here..."

Ken raised a brow "Why Yolei, are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"

"Just shut up and kiss me you soccer genius."

* * *

Izzy, Cody and TK walked into their own room, and marveled at it's elegance. It was slightly larger than the ones the couples were using, and had a small kitchen, a larger balcony, and three bedrooms. To be honest it was more like a mini apartment than anything else.

"Most impressive, Izzy. Thank you very much for setting this up" Cody said respectfully, bowing his head.

"Aw it was nothing" Izzy replied, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

TK smirked "Yeah Izzy, keep it up and you might actually find a girlfriend...YEOWCH!" he roared as Cody kicked him painfully in the shin.

Izzy chuckled "Whatever TK, at least I'm kinda rich. You're just a high schooler with no girlfriend."

Cody burst out laughing at the look on the blonde's face.

TK scowled at the younger boy "Whatever. Anyway, we're all single, so I say we turn this crib into a bachelor pad to be reckoned with!"

Cody and Izzy just stared at him for a moment, before they both replied firmly "NO."

* * *

Willis looked at his watch "Well, they'll be here soon Tai, guess I'll go ahead and shimmy on over to the agreed spot and wait for you guys there."

Tai nodded "Thanks for the company Willis, glad you could make it back on such short notice."

Willis shook his head "Nah man, thanks for the invite! Davis is the closest thing I got to a best friend other Terriormon or Lopmon. I couldn't just sit by and watch the poor guy suffer."

Tai placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder "I know what you mean. Anyway, I'll catch up with you later dude."

Willis nodded, running in the opposite direction to get the others ready too.

Tai smiled, thinking of how nice it was that everyone was coming together for the Child of Miracles. He had sacrificed so much, done so much to ensure the safety of both worlds, and it was (in Tai's books), about damn time they did something to help Davis. They should have been there for him all along, but instead they just assumed it was a phase, that he sore that Kari apparently couldn't stand him (although that couldn't have been further from the truth), or that he was just being a spoiled brat. The truth hurt, Tai knew this all too well, but the fact that he had done nothing, said nothing, for so long cut deeper than any knife could. He knew Davis wasn't back to his old self yet, and probably wouldn't be for a while. But he also knew that no matter what he needed to have the courage to face the road ahead, and help his protégé in any way he could.

Suddenly he felt his d-terminal beep in his pocket. It was Kari, and the message read : _Pulling into the station now, maybe 5 minutes tops. Hope you guys got it all set up in time!_ Tai read it once, twice, and by the third time round he began to panic. "OH SHIT! I'M GONNA BE LATE!" And with that, he took off running.

* * *

Kari shivered a little as they stepped off the train and into the winter cold. Davis frowned, and wrapped his scarf around her tightly, making her smile "You're too sweet."

Davis smiled back "Only for you."

Kari gave him a peck on the cheek "Now where's Tai?"

"You sure you gave him the right time?"

"Positive. Jeez, and people used to give YOU grief for being late."

"Hehe, what can I say, I got a girl to keep me in line now." Davis said, wrapping his arms around her, placing his head on her shoulder from behind as they looked over the landscape. "The way the sun lights up the snow on the mountain reminds me of you and I y'know" Davis said softly, kissing her temple gently "The way you took my cold life and helped melt the ice around my heart with your radiance."

Kari sighed softly, enjoying his embrace "Since when did you become a poet?"

Davis grinned "Since TK said I should try reading some Robert Frost a few years ago."

She giggled, and said "Well I think it's beautiful. Like that hair of yours." That made them both chuckle softly.

"GUUUUUUUUUUUYS!" Tai yelled, running over to them as fast as his legs would carry him. After bending over and taking a moment to catch his breath, he said quickly "Sorry I'm late guys had a little trouble with this thing and then another thingy popped up and a watch-a-ma-call-it came out of nowhere then this other thingy came out and did the thing the first thing did and...!"

"TAI!" Kari yelled, hands on her hips "Calm down, you're only a few minutes late."

"Oh" Tai replied, sanding up straight and laughing awkwardly "Well then, if that's the case then let's...!"

"Oh no" Kari said cutting him off "No way mister. As punishment, you'll be carrying our luggage. And don't even THINK about helping him Davis" Kari said firmly, intertwining their fingers. As they began to walk off, Davis gave his mentor an apologetic shrug. Tai just stood there, tears rolling down his cheeks "Kari...what happened to my sweet innocent sister...?"

* * *

Tai finally managed to guide them to the suite, after a great deal of arduous physical labor. He placed the bags at the door, and started fishing in his pockets until he found the keycard to the room. He opened the door, purposely keeping the lights off, and let the other two walk in. Quietly he closed the door, and just as Davis asked why it was so dark, he flipped on the lights in the room.

"SURPRISE!" The entire digidestined crew popped out of nowhere, nearly giving the crimson haired boy a heart attack. He sat there, completely dumbstruck, as they grinned madly at him.

Kari shifted nervously, unsure of how he'd react at this point.

Davis just stared blankly at the others, and after a long silence, he muttered "Hey Tai?"

Tai grinned back at him "Yes, my dear protégé?"

Davis gave him a look that almost made the older boy piss himself "Run for your life."

* * *

Davis trudged around the resort, still fuming at the others. He hated being lied to. True, they were trying to be nice, but it wasn't what he needed right now. There was a very good reason he wanted to be left alone, and now he was stuck. The next train back to Odaiba wouldn't be able to come into the station for another few weeks, due to potential ice and snow making the tracks dangerous. Groaning at his situation, Davis kicked a large pile of snow, stuffing his hands in his pockets and stomping into the woods, trying to clear his head.

Meanwhile, back at the room, Matt was helping Tai nurse his swollen face. To say Davis had made him see stars would indeed be an understatement, as Tai was still a little out of it even an hour later. "That hurt like a son of a bitch, jeez" the original gogglehead muttered.

"Yeah, I've never seen him so angry. Even when Kari and I used to tease him back when we were younger" TK said, feeling a little guilty.

"At least he didn't actually kill you Tai" Sora said, trying to make light of the situation "That's something, right?"

"I'm beginning to think that this might not have been such a good idea after all..." Yolei said quietly, leaning on Ken's shoulder.

At that Kari snapped; "Oh gee, YOU THINK?!" Before anyone could continue, she yelled "I TOLD you it wasn't a good idea! But NO! No one even bothered to listen to me! And now he's so mad I wouldn't be surprised if he walked back to Odaiba and never spoke to any of us AGAIN!" She stormed out of room, slamming the door behind her.

"Ugh, I'll go talk to her" Tai said, but was held firmly down by Matt.

"No way dude, she's pissed enough as it is" his best friend said.

"Well someone's gotta go talk to her, and I get the feeling she wouldn't respond well to anyone, even me or Mimi" Sora said with a sigh.

"Alrighty then, guess it's time for a little American charm" Willis said with a grin.

"You sure? I'd hate to find your body in an ice bank" Ken replied.

"Oh please, I'm too young and pretty to die" the blonde said with a grin.

* * *

Kari was standing on the outdoor patio deck at the top of the resort, wrapped in the scarf Davis had lent her not an hour ago. She sighed softly, feeling terrible that she had lied to his face, especially after all he had been trying to come to terms with in the last few weeks. She was brought from her thoughts when she heard a voice behind her "Heya Kari! Having fun out here?"

"Go away Willis, I'm not in the mood."

"Which is exactly why I'm not going anywhere."

"You're so aggravating."

"Oh lighten up sourpuss! We're on vacation, we should be smiling not frowning!"

"Yeah right. I think my boyfriend just dumped me, after knocking my brother down like a toothpick."

"Oh quit being so melodramatic. He didn't dump you. I'm not sure he could if he tried."

"How do you know?"

"Because he loves you Kari. Not in that whole 'like-likes you' sense, but actually genuinely loves you. Without ya I'm pretty sure he'd still be the same guy we came to see over the last four years. Y'know, that whole grunge rocker thing without the flannel shirts."

"But I lied to him, Willis. Right to his face. Dragged him up to the mountains even though he really didn't want to go."

"Oh for the love of god, come on now. So he's pissed! So what? Give him some time to cool off, he'll be fine. And when he comes back, just apologize and everything'll be fine."

"...are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Thanks Willis, you're a really good friend."

"Like I told Tai, Davis is pretty much my best friend. We're so alike it's scary. Well except I'm better looking and a better ladies' man."

"Hah, yeah right."

"Okay, now THAT was painful Kari."

"Sorry, but now the only question is where he went."

"Oh don't worry, I have a pretty good idea. I'll drag him back by his balls if I have to, so you go back to the others and let them know. Tai feels really bad for what it's worth, you might wanna go and remind him that you're still his little sister and not some demon from another world."

Kari grinned at him "Oh, but where's the fun in that?"

* * *

Davis continued to trek through the forest, enjoying the silence for a while. That was until a certain blonde nearly crashed into him. "Ow, what the hell?"

"Oh damn, I'm sorry! I was just looking for...DAVIS!" Willis exclaimed happily.

"Willis? You're here?"

"Hmm, I guess you were too busy punching Tai's lights out to notice me." the American said, helping his friend up.

"Yeah, I guess. He alright? I didn't mean to lose my temper like that but..."

"Oh he's fine. Probably got some memory issues is all. If he asks who we are we'll be worried."

"Dammit, I feel so crappy."

"Well we did spring it on you my man, so don't fret too much."

"It's not just that. Kari must hate me now, for just smacking her brother and storming off without so much as a word to her. Maybe she'd be better off if I just left and went home."

"And do what, walk there? Don't be an ass dude."

"Well then what am I supposed to do? I think I just lost the one person I care about more than anyone else, and over something so stupid."

"Funny."

"What the hell is funny about any of this?"

"No, it's just that I was having the same conversation with her not too long ago."

"Wait, really?"

"Oh yeah, she's a feisty one. Snapped on everyone not long after you left. Calmed her down though, so I promised I'd find you and do the same."

"Ah, okay well thanks then" Davis replied, though he kept his eyes downcast.

"What's eating you Davis?" Willis asked with a frown, not liking the look on his friend's face.

"Call it a relapse I guess. I was just so mad and I..." he trailed off, looking at his swollen hand and bruised and bloody knuckles.

"Eesh man, remind me to give the tree my condolences" Willis muttered, taking out some gauze and wrapping his friend's hand.

"Should I even bother to ask why you're carrying something like that around?"

"Well, you and I have the same mentality. So I asked myself, where would I go and what would I do? The answer: go find the nearest forest and bash my fist against the biggest tree I could find. As for the gauze, I might have taken it from Joe's coat pocket. I swear that guy carries around everything."

Davis smiled "Yeah, I guess so."

"Now, as for this 'relapse' as you called it. I know it's tough readjusting, but we're your friends man. It's what we're here for. Whenever you have those thoughts, you have GOT to reach out to us. We can help you."

"I know, it just took me by surprise I guess."

"Well duh, that was sort of the whole point. Y'know, in America is a religious holiday, unlike here in Japan. And there's an old saying: No one should be alone on Christmas, for it is the Lord's day, the day of his joyous coming. So come ye who would be alone, suffer the night in a barn, and feel his presence."

"Wow, that's deep man."

"Yeah, my grandfather says it to me. He's the one who paid for my plane ticket, once I told him why I needed to be here."

"Well I'm glad you are. It's been a while, and it's nice to see you haven't changed."

"Hey underneath all that angst and repressed emotion stuff you got going on you're still the same old Davis. That temper's certainly as bad as ever."

The two broke into laughter, before Willis placed a hand on Davis' shoulder, and said "Come on, let's head back. I know someone who's anxious to see you."

* * *

Back at the resort, Kari was pacing nervously, hoping beyond hope that Davis was alright. She got her answer when the door opened and in walked Willis with a very sheepish Davis in tow. Everyone held their breath, before Davis sighed, and said "You're still all assholes, but I guess I got no choice but to go with the flow now."

After a brief moment of silence, everyone cheered loudly, making the crimson haired boy smile. Kari rushed forward into his arms, holding him tight and whispering in his ear "I love you Davis."

Davis smiled "I love you too Kari."

 _In the Digital World, a being with a dark presence stared at images of the digidestined, seemingly uninterested until one boy caught his eye. "Ah, the Child of Miracles. And here I thought this would be boring. Glad to see I was wrong."_

 **And DONE! Holy word count this was a long ass chapter! Hope you all enjoyed, hopefully the next installment will be out in a few days! As always, please REVIEW IF YOU LIKED IT! Anyway, Silver Tongue signing off!**


	7. Chapter Six

**A/N Hey all! Back again with another chapter (trust me writing this one wasn't easy) so I hope ya'll enjoy! Oh! I need help with some new cover art, so if anyone out there is an artist and would like to help a brother out, lemme know! Anyway, as always please read and REVIEW! Even if it's only a little something, it really does help encourage an author to write more and write better! Right Davis?**

 **Davis: Don't talk to me.**

 **Me: Huh?**

 **Kari: Oh ignore him, he's just sore that you're taking so long to write this chapter.**

 **Me: ...**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon. But you already knew that.**

 **The Dark One**

 **Chapter Six: Miracle of Light**

Kari yawned, stretching a little as she began to wake up. She smiled softly as she felt Davis stir next her, clearly not wanting to wake up. She leaned and placed a kiss on his forehead, saying quietly "Happy Christmas Davis."

Grudgingly, the crimson haired boy opened his eyes, and grunted "Happy Christmas Kari."

She giggled, pulling back the covers, making her boyfriend let out a pitiful noise at the loss of warmth. The brunette walked over to the window, smiling as she looked out at the resort, the fresh crisp layer of pure white snow giving it a glow that made it seem so alive. Davis, still only half awake, came behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and placing his head on her shoulder, kissing her temple. Kari grinned, relaxing into his embrace, as they enjoyed the view. After he tried and failed to stifle another yawn, Kari glanced at him "Coffee?" He nodded, pulling away and saying "I'm gonna grab something and meet you downstairs. Tai's probably out rounding up the troops, I think I heard him banging around earlier."

The brunette sighed "Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised. Let's just hope Yolei doesn't bite his head off. She loves her beauty sleep."

Davis chuckled "Yeah, poor Ken. You'd need to be quiet as a ninja around her."

Kari laughed, playfully swatting his shoulder "Whatever. I'll be downstairs."

As soon as she left, Davis reached under the bed for his suitcase, pulling out the small bag he had Kari's gift hidden in. He took one last meaningful at it, and let his mind drift back to the events of the past month, knowing he had made the right choice in trusting Kari, and in his friends.

* * *

Kari quickly dashed downstairs and turned on the coffee machine, running to the hall closet where she had Davis' Christmas gift stored. She pulled the box out, opening it and smiling softly. " _Perfect"_ she thought, carefully putting it back in the closet. She ran back into the kitchen just as Davis walked down the stairs, yawning loudly and muttering something about mornings being an evil mankind could do without. She poured them both a cup, and handed him his, klinking their cups and saying "To a very happy day of fun." Davis just grunted, though he did smile fondly at her, taking a sip and savoring the taste of the brew. They retreated to living room area, and once again Kari marveled at the size of it. Izzy had made sure to give Davis and Kari the biggest suite of all, throwing Tai in too, and she couldn't believe it when she had really taken a good look at it. The entry hallway pooled into a large living room, which was more than big enough for all of the gang, and held all the wrapped presents in a separate corner (Jun and Mikihiro had been good enough to drop off the presents Davis had bought his friends before they left to do their own thing). A nice sized kitchen area was attached to the kitchen through an open bar counter. The large balcony was on the other side of the living room, and a flight of stairs led up to the second level, which held 3 bedrooms, although (much to Tai's chagrin) Kari and Davis were sharing a room. As she pulled her legs under her, Kari smiled as she watched Davis stke the fire, muttering something about it being too damn cold for his liking. Once he had it roaring, he plopped down next to her on the couch, and she leaned her head on his shoulder. They sipped their coffee in silence, and a short time later Tai burst through the door, calling out "I'm back!" As he came into the living room, Daviss and Kari noticed a very disgruntled Willis stalking in behind him, followed by Izzy and TK, both of whom looked murderous. TK pointed at Davis' coffee cup "Is there more?"

Kari nodded "Fresh pot in the kitchen, help yourself."

TK gave a wave of thanks, and Willis walked over to the large couch, flopping down and placing his own head on Davis' shoulder "Y'know, I think I get why you like doing this, Kari. He's so comfy."

Davis scoffed, playfully shoving his American friend off him "Weirdo."

Izzy sighed, falling into the recliner "I swear Tai, you'd think for once you'd just chill and let us be lazy for a few extra hours."

Tai eagerly shook his head "Sorry my eligible bachelor friends! Until you get girlfriends that could potentially tear my intestines out of my body and hang me with them for waking up their boyfriends, you're on party prep duty."

Willis shot him a withering look "Says the most painfully single guy in the room."

Kari giggled "Be glad you didn't try to wake Davis up Tai. If you thought that punch the other day was bad, you should've seen him this morning. Was like trying to wake the dead."

Davis pouted "Well I like sleeping. Sue me."

Kari smiled, twirling some of his hair, which was hanging loosely around his shoulder, with her finger "Aww, I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you, I promise." She leaned in and kissed his cheek, smiling brightly at him, making him grin as well.

Tai groaned "Oh come on Kari, have you no shame! We're standing right here!"

TK rolled his eyes as he walked back into the room, and glared at Tai "Oh please, if we're okay with it then you should suck it up and deal."

Everyone but Tai laughed at that, as TK's feisty side was rarely on display and clearly caught Tai by surprise. Tai blushed slightly, then said "Whatever, TK. Anyway, as soon as the others get here we'll open the presents and get down to the cooking. Although I'm pretty sure Matt's only going to let Davis in the kitchen with him."

Izzy laughed "Very true. Remember the last time any of us tried to help him in there? Not a happy story!"

TK cringed "I think I still have the burn from that frying pan he threw at me."

Davis chuckled "I can't help that my culinary skills are on par with the master himself."

Tai scoffed "Please just don't let him hear you say that."

Kari smirked "Don't worry Tai, at least you know that Davis'll be able to take care of me when we move in together."

Tai nodded "That's right, he sure will...! WAIT WHAT?!"

Everyone laughed at his reaction, and even Tai gave in and chuckled a little. "Whoa, come on now, it's bad enough we had to get up at all, do you guys really have to make all that noise too?" Yolei muttered as she and Ken walked in, rubbing her eyes. Ken smiled sympathetically, rubbing her back as they found a spot on the floor to sit down.

"Happy Christmas everyone!" Sora called excitedly as she dragged Matt through the door. Her blonde boyfriend just glared at Tai, and muttered something about needing to keep his best friend on a leash and muzzle.

"Sora, I don't know where you get all that energy, but I want some" Mimi whined from behind her, Joe closing the door behind them all. Mimi flopped on top her best friend, making Sora squeak as they wrestled a little, eliciting chuckles from the others. After they finally settled down, Kari said "Alright I'm gonna go put a fresh pot of coffee on. After that we can open some presents!"

Sora trailed after the younger girl into the kitchen, bumping her shoulder once they were out of earshot "So, you brought his gift right?"

Kari grinned widely "Oh yeah. I can't wait, I just know he's gonna love it!"

Sora giggled "Oh I bet. Though you're gonna die laughing when you see what Matt got him."

Kari quirked a brow "Oh?" Sora leaned in and whispered something into Kari's ear, making her burst into laughter. "That's perfect!"

* * *

Matt tapped Davis on the shoulder in the living room, and said in his ear "You brought Kari's gift right?"

Davis nodded "It's under our bed. Actually, I need to go grab it, cover for me in here for a few?"

Matt nodded, patting him on the back "No problem bud."

Ken noticed this, and moved over to Matt "What was that about?"

Matt grinned "Let's just say that Davis is a lot of things, but dense isn't one of them. I think Kari's about to have the best Christmas gift of her life."

A few minutes later Davis returned, slipping a small pink gift bag onto the top of the present pile before returning to his seat and taking a sip of his coffee. A few moments later, Sora and Kari returned with trays of coffee and small biscuits in the shape of trees and Santa hats (courtesy of the American boy sitting next to Davis). Kari slipped away for a second as everyone moved to grab their cups and claim a cookie or two, running to the hallway closet and grabbing Davis' gift. She quickly placed it next to the pink bag on top of the present pile, although she didn't remember it being there the night before. Stealthily, she moved back over to her spot on the couch, curling into Davis' side as he wrapped an arm around her. They settled back into comfortable conversation, cracking jokes and discussing all the mischief their partners were probably up to in the Digital World. After about half an hour, Sora cleared her throat to get everyone's attention, and said "Alright everyone! We're going to have to let Davis and Matt at that kitchen sooner than later, so let's open some presents!" Everyone voiced their approval, but before a frenzied rush could overcome the group, Sora stood in front of the gifts, and said in a firm voice "DOWN. Now, I suggest that since this trip was really a way for us to celebrate being back together as a group" she said looking pointedly at Davis "Davis and Kari should exchange gifts first. Not a word Tai" she finished, glaring at the older boy.

"Amen! I think that's an awesome idea!" Willis grinned toothily at the couple, and a general consensus of agreement passed through the group.

Davis took Kari's hand, and led her to the pile. He smiled at her, picking up the pink gift bag off the top while she grabbed the blue one, and led her back to the couch. They handed each other the gift bags, and Kari said eagerly "You first!"

Davis chuckled at her enthusiasm, and pulled a little black box out of the blue bag. He raised a brow at her, but she just gave him an excited smile. He turned his attention back to the box, and his heart soared when he saw the contents. Inside were two rings; the smaller of the two was a shiny silver, and had a cyan gemstone at the forefront, whereas the bigger one was a sleek obsidian, and had small rubies in the shape of a triangle inserted at intervals. On the inside of each ring was an inscription: _Now and Forever Yours._ The room was very quiet, and Kari bit her lip as she looked at Davis. Wordlessly, he placed the obsidian ring on his right ring finger, reaching for her right hand and placing the silver one on her finger there. Sora wiped away a tear at the innocent, yet powerful display. Kari whispered "Like it?"

Davis grinned at her, looking happier than he had in a long long time "I love it. And you." Even Tai was ready to burst into tears, and Mimi and Yolei just hugged their own boyfriends, touched by the simple yet incredibly beautiful gift choice. Kari grinned, her heart swelling with pride, knowing she had done good. Davis leaned in and kissed her forehead, causing the girls to coo softly, and making him blush (not that he was ashamed, it needed to be done). "Your turn" he whispered to her.

Kari opened the bag, and saw a small card sticking out, with a black and white cat on the front. She admired it for a brief moment, before turning it over and reading aloud the message: "Dear Kari, these past four years have been Hell on wheels for me, but thanks to you, I finally feel like myself again. The Miracle of Light, that's what I'm calling it. Thank you for being there. Love, Davis."

Willis and Matt slapped the crimson haired boy on the back, smiling widely at him. Even Tai said "Nice work, my dear protégé." Davis blushed at the attention, focusing instead on the girl in front of him as she reached back into the bag, and pulled the pearl box from inside. Matt's grin just grew, as he had a pretty good feeling how Kari would react. After shooting her boyfriend a curious look, Kari slowly opened the box, gasping at what she saw inside. Inside was a small pendant, made from what she could tell was rose gold and was covered in light pink tourmaline stones, with a larger pink diamond in the center, with the Crest of Miracles printed into the metal, which gave a bright gold appearance inside the diamond. Kari pulled it out of the box, her heart clenching as she looked it over. Yolei, Sora and Mimi all gasped, mesmerized by it's simplistic beauty. Willis and Tai's jaws hit the floor, flabbergasted by the quality of Davis' gift. Matt nodded his head in approval, while TK just smiled, glad Kari and Davis were finally together. True he had tried with Kari, but he knew that Davis was the guy she wanted, no, needed in her life. It was about time the pair found each other. He smiled fondly as he watched Davis put the necklace on her, and laughed at Tai's face when the brunette practically pounced on Davis, kissing him like it was all that mattered to her in the world.

"Okay Kari, let the poor guy breath" Sora said chuckling, pulling her off of Davis. Both of them were blushing, but they didn't care. This was the best Christmas ever. Joe chuckled, and said "Well how the hell are we supposed to follow that? I'm a med student, I can't even begin to imagine affording something like that Davis."

Mimi, who was still in slight shock, nodded her head "Yeah seriously, how _did_ you manage that Davis? That's not a cheap rock y'know."

Davis shrugged "Four birthdays and Christmas' worth of spending money honestly. Plus I help Jun with her reporter work sometimes, and she splits the commission with me."

Kari just beamed "Who cares guys, it's the thought that counts right?"

Yolei scoffed "Said the girl with the bling."

They all laughed, and Matt stood up, grabbing a small package from his pocket, handing it to Davis "Well I'll go next then. Here you go man."

Davis quirked a brow, unwrapping the gift and immediately bursting into laughter. Willis leaned over to see what was so funny, and then ended up on the floor clutching his side. The others all looked on in confusion, until Davis held up a pack of hair ties. That caused everyone to follow him into fits of laughter.

* * *

After a quick shower and some time alone with Kari, Davis walked into the kitchen, using one of the hair ties Matt had given him to pull his hair back, tying it into a neat ponytail as he began to prepare everything that he and thee blonde haired boy would need to get the dinner going. Matt walked in a few minutes later, grinning at his cooking partner. "Everything ready?"

Davis nodded "Yeah, just about. You sure you wanna do this whole turkey and ham thing? I know we're doing it for Willis but I'm just concerned we're gonna burn the casserole. Or the suite. Either way."

Matt laughed "Relax Davis, I've cooked a turkey before. The ham's a first but hey, when in Rome right?"

Davis shrugged "You're the boss. Anyway, I'll get started with the stuffing, Sora and Kari said they'd come and help with the veggies in a little bit, should give us time to cook the pies and hide them before Willis and Tai try and 'taste test' them for us."

Matt scowled "The hell they will. Tai should remember what happened the last time he messed with me while I was cooking. Didn't end well for him."

Davis laughed "Yeah I remember Sora telling me. He still has the burn mark on his ass. Or so he claims."

Matt smiled wickedly "This time I won't be so merciful."

They both laughed at that, going through the motions of preparing the food. About 20 minutes in, Matt glanced at the crimson haired boy, a smile on his face "Oh, I almost forgot. I got you something. Well, you and Tai. I saw them backstage at a gig a few months ago and knew I needed to get you guys some."

Davis turned to face him, a brow raised "What's that?" Matt tossed him a small blue box. Inside was a solid black guitar pick attached to a silver chain. In the center the Crest of Miracles stood proudly in gold. Davis' eyes widened at the sight, glancing up at Matt, ho was holding up one with the Crest of Friendship on it. He then said "Tai's has his Crest too. Not as fancy as that majestic piece you got Kari, but I thought you'd like it."

Davis grinned widely, slipping it around his neck, and said proudly "Thanks Matt, it's awesome. Makes my gift look kind of meager really."

Matt raised a brow "Davis, you got me the entire Hendrix collection. On vinyl. With the original sleeves and dust covers. I'd call that a fair trade."

Davis laughed "Maybe I should have gotten you a frying pan instead, customize it with some sort of deadly weapon to scare Tai and Willis off."

They once again began laughing, going back to their cooking duties as they played some rock on the radio.

* * *

Sora and Kari were sitting at the counter, peeling potatoes and dicing onions as Matt and Davis were entertaining them by using kitchen utensils as microphones and various instruments, singing along to everything from rock from Japan and a large selection of 80's American Hair Metal. As the two young men started to discuss strategy on cooking the ham, Sora leaned in and said to Kari "You haven't taken your eyes off that necklace since you got it girl."

Kari giggled "I can't help it Sora. It's the most amazing thing anyone's ever gotten me. Makes me kind of guilty that all I got were a pair of promise rings."

Sora wiggled her brow "Sure. Promise rings. Somehow I think you're just trying to mark your property, in case any other girls get funny ideas."

Kari blushed "Sora! That's so crass!"

Sora giggled "Oh please, are you telling me that you and he haven't..."

Kari cut her off "Stoooop! We're waiting before we take that step!"

Sora tried hard not to laugh at the poor girl, after all the thought the younger couple were absolutely adorable in her eyes "Well I think that's sweet. And I think that fact that he's being a gentleman and not pushing you into anything is amazing."

Kari smiled at her "Yeah, he's the greatest. Always putting me first."

Sora nodded "I know that feeling."

Over by the ham, Matt glanced at Davis "You know, Kari's a lucky girl. You should've seen the look on Mimi and Yolei's faces when they saw that necklace. To say they were jealous is probably an understatement."

Davis grinned "She's worth it, that's all."

Matt patted the younger boys back "Then I think she's in good hands."

* * *

A few hours later, the food was prepared, and everyone sat down around the living room to eat. They talked about the future, dreams, how the day had gone for each of them, and what they were going to do for the rest of their holiday. Davis remained relatively silent, Kari perched between his legs, head on his chest as he thought about what had happened over the past four years, and how in just one month, the Child of Light had turned his train wreck of a life around, for the better. He instinctively pulled her closer to him, making her look up at him. He smiled at her, and she smiled back as she leaned in and kissed his gently. _"I can do this"_ Davis thought _"With kari by my side I can do anything. I guess that's why she's my Miracle. The Miracle of Light..."_

 _Gennai sighed as he stared at the strange castle that had appeared in the Digital World, knowing that as much as he didn't want to, it was time to call upon the Digidestined once again. Hopefully Davis had sorted the darkness within him that Veemon had sensed; because he wasn't sure that defeating this foe without him was possible._

 **And done! Wow, that got so much easier to write once I started listening to Quiet Riot (no judging)! Anyway, I know I've been an asshole with these quick little foreshadowing scenes, but keep in mind this is more a fluff-fest than it is an action story. Still, there WILL be action, I promise! As always, please review if you liked! Until next time, SAYONARA!**

 **PS: If you haven't already, check out my accidentally long one-shot, 'His True Nature'. Thanks!**


	8. Chapter Seven

**A/N: Heya peeps! Back again with another chapter, but also some mildly unhappy news. After Chapter Seven, I'll be putting this story on a (VERY) short hiatus. The reason is because it's already longer than I intended it to be, and so I need to get my thoughts in order and finish a set plot line before I finish the story. Anyway in the meantime I have other thoughts on side projects to distract me a little bit, visit my profile bio for more info, and please do PM or comment in the review area if you have suggestions! Anyway, without further ado, on with the story! Please remember if you enjoy review!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon. Unfortunately.**

 **The Dark One**

 **Chapter Seven: The Threat Revealed**

 _Four months have passed since the trip to the ski resort, and things have been looking up for Davis and the gang. Although the gate to the Digital World once again closed itself off, Izzy assumed it was due to some sort of routine maintenance or such and would contact Gennai as soon as possible. As for Davis and Kari, they spend most of their time together, and slowly but surely Davis has begun to hang out with his friends again. Surprisingly, he had developed a strong friendship with Matt, and the two often spent time at Matt and Sora's apartment, listening to music and talking about life. It was therapeutic for the younger boy, and Matt found him a great listener as well. It was on such a day we find them sitting on the apartment couch, chatting about their favorite bands..._

"You're telling me you really prefer Deep Purple over Black Sabbath?" Matt asked with a raised brow.

Davis nodded firmly "Give me Highway Star over Iron Man any day of the week."

Matt sighed "Kids these days, no appreciation for the Prince of Darkness."

Davis stuck his tongue out "Please, Ritchie Blackmore's got more talent than Ozzy could ever have."

Matt narrowed his eyes, and was about to respond when both Davis' D-3 and Matt's Digivice started beeping like crazy. They looked at each other in confusion, when their D-Terminals beeped as well. They looked over the message Izzy had sent out, and immediately raced out of the apartment, straight to the old school's computer lab.

* * *

"What's up Izzy? Our Digivices have been going ballistic for the past hour now" Tai said once everyone had gathered.

"Same with our D-3s" TK added, looking over his own device curiously.

"It's an emergency distress signal" Izzy stated coolly, as he typed away at the code on the computer in front of him.

"Emergency?" Ken piped up, frowning slightly.

"Yes, straight from Gennai from what I can tell" Izzy said, still not looking up from his task "I'm trying to open a connection now, he says that he's doing everything he can from his end, but if he's made it this hard just to open the Digiport then something's seriously wrong."

Davis frowned slightly "What about Mimi and Willis? They're going to need a way in too."

Izzy nodded "If I can get this one, the main 'port in the Human World, to open then I can remotely open the one in Mimi's home in America."

Tai nodded, pounding his fist into his hand "Well then, let's get ready to go then guys, because as soon as Izzy has a secure connection, we're going in."

Everyone nodded except for Davis, who appeared to be lost in his own world, absentmindedly running his fingers over the ring Kari had gotten for Christmas, which he always wore. Seeing this, said girl approached her boyfriend, nudging his shoulder "Hey you."

He looked up and smiled fondly at her "Hey beautiful."

Kari giggled, then frowned when she noticed his smile didn't quite meet his eyes "You're worried about Veemon huh?"

Davis sighed, running a hand through his hair "Yeah, I am. I haven't seen him in so long, and the last time we did see each other, it didn't exactly end well."

Kari furrowed her brow "What do you mean?"

Davis sighed, and said slowly "He asked me why I never talked to him anymore or hung out with you guys either. When I told him I didn't ant to talk about it he kept pressing me and pressing me. He was my partner, I never could lie to him very well. I don't know why, but I just kinda snapped, telling him to mind his damn business, and that I wished he'd just go and leave me alone. And not come back." Tears threatened to fall as he finished, and his hands were balled into fists.

Kari pulled him into a tight hug, saying softly "Hey, it's okay Davis. He's Veemon; I'm sure he'll forgive you, you just need to tell him the truth. You two were always super close, closer than even Gatomon and I. You guys can work past whatever problems you have, just give it a chance."

Davis took a deep breath, calming down significantly before pulling back to place kiss on her forehead, whispering in her ear "I love you, Kari."

Kari smiled to herself "I love you too Davis. Always."

Matt cleared his throat "Hate to break you lovebirds up, but we're all set to go."

Davis and Kari nodded, getting up and walking over to the computer. Looking over at his protégé, Tai smirked and said "Davis, do the honors?"

Davis smiled at him "What the hell, why not? Digiport open!"

* * *

Agumon and the others sat anxiously in Gennai's home, awaiting the arrival of their partners. He occasionally stole glances at the very nervous Veemon, sighing as he thought about what might happen when Davis arrived. Gatomon was also worried, and went over to sit down next to her blue dragon friend "Hey Vee, you okay?"

Veemon glanced at her, tapping his foot anxiously "I'm fine Gatomon, just a little nervous I guess. Haven't seen him in two years."

Gatomon nodded, placing a paw on his shoulder "It'll be alright, you'll see. Otherwise he wouldn't be coming back with them."

Before he could reply, a light flashed from the small TV in the corner of the room, and in an instant the Digidestined appeared, with Mimi and Willis following them through a moment later. Izzy was the last one through, and everyone broke into cheers off happiness as partners were reunited. The room grew quiet, however, when they realized that neither Veemon nor Davis had budged an inch. Finally, Davis cleared his throat, and grinned at his partner "Well? You just gonna stand there? I haven't seen you in two years bud!"

That was all it took, and the next thing Davis knew he was flat on his back, the small blue dragon having tackled him down. He smiled softly, patting Veemon's head, the others smiling at the reunited pair of Miracles. THey were interrupted however by Gennai, who cleared his throat and said somberly "I'm sorry to break up the reunion, but I'm afraid we have a problem."

Davis sat up, scooping his partner into his arms as Matt asked "What problem Gennai? I thought the defeat of Malomyotismon was supposed to bring peace to the Digital World."

Gennai sighed, nodding his head "So did I. However, Azulongmon has informed me that unfortunately that isn't the case. An old enemy of the Sovereigns has arisen, one who was assumed to be defeated and sealed away for all time."

Tai frowned "Who?"

Gennai looked at Veemon, and cringed slightly "ChaosUlforceveedramon."

* * *

After a lengthy explanation as to who the mysterious Digimon was and the final battle between the powerful being and the Sovereigns, Gennai sat back in his chair, awaiting the response from the Digidestined. "So...this ChaosUlforceveedramon...he's the other evolution line of Veemon, but with dark energy imbued in him?" Davis asked slowly, trying to wrap his mind around what he had been told.

Gennai nodded "Yes, and he's far more powerful than he appears."

Sora pinched the bridge of her nose "It took everything we had to defeat Malomyotismon...are you saying he's stronger than that monster?"

Gennai shook his head "No, Malomyotismon was far stronger than ChaosUlforceveedramon. However, what he lacks in strength he more than makes up for in experience and knowledge."

Davis rubbed his chin "So we do have a chance then?"

Gennai nodded "Yes. But it'll take all of you together to defeat him."

Tai nodded, pounding his fist into his palm "Then let's strategize. He's a Mega Digimon, which means that our best chances for winning lie in Davis, Matt, Ken and I. Imperialdramon and Omnimon are our strongest fighters, so we need to be on the front, keeping up a solid offense. That'll leave the others with the chance to hit him hard while he's occupied with us."

Matt nodded "I agree. We need to take care of this guy quick, especially if what Gennai said is true and he's planning on taking on the Sovereigns again. They're still weakened form trying to rebuild the Digital World, so there's a good chance they might lose if they fight him."

Willis smirked, grinning at the others "Then it's settled. We hit this guy so hard he won't know what hit him."

Davis nodded, fist pumping the blonde boy "Sounds good to me. When do we leave?"

Sora piped up "I say we leave first thing tomorrow morning as early as possible. That'll give us the night to rest up and get ready."

Tai nodded in agreement "You heard her, we'll camp out here for tonight, then move on as soon the sun comes up."

After a general consensus, everyone agreed and moved to split into smaller groups, Veemon and Davis sneaking out to catch up.

* * *

"Wow, you and Kari actually got together?"

"Yeah, crazy huh?"

"I'll say. Never thought I'd see that day. Figured she and TK would end up together."

"You aren't the only one."

"I'm happy for you Davish. You deserve it."

"I guess so. Look, Vee...I'm sorry. I was so wrapped up in my own mind I didn't even stop to think about you. My biggest regret is yelling at you that day."

"Davish, it wasn't your fault. The point is that you're back now, and that's all that matters to me."

Davis turned to look at his partner, pulling him into a hug "I missed you buddy."

Veemon smiled at him "Me too."

Davis smiled, and said "Oh, check it out, my Christmas gift from Kari!"

* * *

"So how's Veemon been doing?" Kari asked Gatomon, as they sat in a corner, catching up themselves.

"He's been doing pretty good, much better recently. I think he could sense Davis was doing better."

"Well I'm glad to hear it, we were worried about how they might react to each other after so long."

"I was kinda worried too honestly, but I'm glad they were both happy about it."

"Yeah, Davis was really torn up about it before we came here."

"Speaking of, is the length of his hair his choice, or is it yours? I know how you love a guy who keeps his hair long."

Kari blushed "A little of both." She ran her fingers over her necklace, smiling softly.

Gatomon rose a brow "And where did that majestic piece come from?"

Kari giggled "It was a Christmas gift from Davis. Isn't it gorgeous?"

Gatomon moved into her partner's lap, gazing at the pendant "It is. So pretty...and pink."

Kari smiled at the Digimon, petting her head "Yeah it is. Just goes to show; he may have had a rough past few years, but deep down he's still the same Davis. And we're seeing more and more of it now, which is great."

"Great for you too, since you get to have him all to yourself at last right?" Gatomon asked slyly.

Kari blushed, puffing her cheek "Hmph. Don't be too smug, or I'll make you stay at Tai's place when you're in the Human World."

Gatomon laughed, then said curiously "Wait, what do you mean 'Tai's place' Kari?"

* * *

As the sun came up, the Digidestined were getting ready to head out to ChaosUlforceveedramon's castle. "Alright gang, we know where we're going for once, so let's make sure that we take this punk down" Tai said, folding his arms.

Davis nodded "Yeah, let's show this jerk that we aren't a group you wanna mess with!"

Matt gave a thumbs up "You'd better believe it, you lame brain goggle heads. We're behind you 100%."

Davis and Tai grinned, but Davis frowned "Oh right, the goggles..."

Kari cleared her throat, stepping forward and holding them out to her boyfriend "I grabbed them on my way to the school. Jun said good luck too."

Davis looked at Tai, as if seeking affirmation, which he received in the form of a nod from his mentor. Davis took them from Kari, a grin on his face, as he pulled them on over his head and let them rest around his neck. "Well then, let's do this" he said, getting a round of nods and thumbs up from the others.

 _In the mysterious castle, ChaosUlforceveedramon smiled to himself, as he watched the Digidestined in amusement. "I suppose I'd best prepare for them too..."_

 **And that's that for now! Shorter chapter I know, but it's a filler as I collect my thoughts and even as I type this I'm brainstorming ideas for how to further the story. Please don't stop reading, I'll devote s much time to this story as I can, I swear! Anyway, as always please Review if you enjoyed it! See ya next time!**


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